The response by Israel and different nations to Iran’s aerial assault stored nearly all of its drones and missiles from touchdown in Israel, making certain they brought about solely mild harm and a handful of accidents, Israeli officers stated.
An sudden — and for some, unwelcome — actor performed a task in Israel’s protection: Jordan, the Arab kingdom subsequent door.
Jordan fought 4 wars with Israel between 1948 and 1973 earlier than signing a peace treaty in 1994. Its inhabitants is closely made up of Palestinians, and their descendants, who had been barred from returning to their houses by Israel after the 1948 struggle that adopted the institution of the Jewish state.
Jordan’s involvement was welcomed by older Israelis who remembered when Jordan would shell Israel. However Palestinians and their supporters denounced Jordan’s function, accusing the dominion of siding with Israel at a time when its navy offensive in Gaza has killed greater than 33,000 Palestinians, in accordance with well being officers there.
Amir Tibon, a journalist for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, celebrated the function performed by Israel’s allies, together with Jordan. He referred to as it “an essential lesson for us Israelis.”
“Science, know-how and alliances with the world: These are the issues that maintain Israel collectively,” he wrote.
On Sunday, Jordan’s authorities issued a press release describing its navy motion as an act of self-defense, not finished for the good thing about Israel.
It stated the drones and missiles “that entered our airspace final evening had been handled and confronted preventively with out endangering the security of our residents and residential and populated areas.”
It navy will proceed to defend Jordan in opposition to any future incursions by “any social gathering” in protection of “the nation, its residents, and its airspace and territory,” the Jordanian authorities added.
That official rationalization didn’t mollify critics of Jordan’s involvement on Sunday. Giant pro-Palestinian demonstrations have taken place in Jordan for the reason that struggle started in October, and the authorities have usually responded harshly. This yr, Amnesty Worldwide criticized the dominion for arresting greater than 1,000 protesters and others.
Social media customers shared a meme of Jordan’s ruler, King Abdullah II, carrying an Israeli navy uniform. In a publish on X, Dima Khatib, the managing director of AJ+, a digital information group owned by the pan-Arab community Al Jazeera, referred to as Jordan’s actions “stunning.”
“Pleasant international locations are responding, to not the assault of Israeli planes, drones and missiles on Palestine, however to an assault on Israel,” she wrote. “There are Arab residents who pull the set off to guard Israel and watch when the Palestinians are bombed.”
