Israeli security services are seriously concerned that rebel success in Syria could encourage radical elements in Jordan to destabilize King Abdullah's regime. This concern has already been the subject of discussions within the security cabinet and should be addressed again soon. In this context, the head of the Shin Bet (internal security service) Ronen Bar and the head of military intelligence, General Shlomi Binder, visited Jordan. High-level meetings took place in Israel, including within the cabinet, regarding the possibility of a repeat of the Syrian events in Jordan.
Senior Israeli officials say such a development would directly affect Israel, which shares its longest land border with Jordan. This concern is shared by Arab diplomats, who speak of a potential “domino effect” in the Middle East.
An Arab diplomat from a regional country said earlier this week: “Authorities in Egypt, Jordan and throughout the region are monitoring the situation with concern and fear that events in Syria will encourage Islamist currents in these areas. countries to follow the example of the Syrian rebels. He added that “so far the rhetoric of the Syrian opposition seems moderate, but only time will tell.”
In recent years, most Arab countries have come to terms with Bashar al-Assad remaining in power and maintained normal relations with him, in the context of the Syrian civil war. They remember the contagion effect of the Arab Spring in 2011, when a successful uprising in a relatively peripheral country like Tunisia spread to other nations.