Juggling discontent in Jordan

Jordan likes to promote itself as an island of stability in a region in turmoil, and in 2011 the country largely lived up to that reputation. While elsewhere the winds of change shook or toppled one regime after another, Jordan’s King Abdullah II managed to weather the storm and today sits as firmly as ever on his Hashemite throne. That is not to say his rule was not challenged. Encouraged by events in Tunisia and Egypt, thousands of Jordanians hit the streets in the first weeks of 2011 to demand reform. In contrast to his Arab counterparts, however, Abdullah did not opt for a violent response. Instead, he proved himself a skillful juggler of (empty) promises, while playing give and take with the country’s domestic forces, always careful not to upset his foreign allies. Demonstrations are officially banned in Jordan, yet Abdullah allowed people to gather and vent their frustrations,