Jordan

Lots of knowledge should be from Israel/Palestine

In the mid-1960s, how much of the population was made up by Palestinians?

~60–65% of Jordan's population

Why were there riots in 1989

Collapse in remittances and Gulf subsidies, combined with IMF austerity measures,

Hussein responded by holding the first parliamentary elections since 1967, allowing the Muslim Brotherhood to participate - they won ~34 of 80 seats, the largest bloc.

Jordan’s status on Gulf war

Hussein refused to join the US-led coalition against Iraq - partly from domestic pressure (large Palestinian and pro-Iraqi public sentiment) and partly from economic dependency on Iraq. The decision cost Jordan ~$1.5 billion in lost Gulf aid almost overnight, as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait cut subsidies. ~300,000 Jordanian workers were expelled from Gulf states.

Peace Treaty with Israel

Jordan became only the second Arab country (after Egypt, 1979) to sign a formal peace treaty with Israel 1994. It restored Jordanian land, secured water agreements, and unlocked US debt relief (~$700 million written off). Domestically controversial but economically necessary.