Israel's water refusal to Jordan seen as 'stab in the back' amid political crisis

Israel's refusal to renew a critical water agreement with Jordan, linked to Amman's rhetoric on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, could be seen as a "stab in the back" by Jordan, according to an expert on Israeli-Jordanian relations.

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stab in the back

The 1994 peace treaty between the two nations obligates Israel to supply Jordan with 50 million cubic meters of water annually. This amount was doubled in 2021, but that commitment expired in late 2025. After several extensions, Israel has now tied the resumption of the increased water supply to Jordan moderating its public statements about Israel and restoring warmer diplomatic relations.

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reflects the political crisis between the countries

Dr. Ronen Yitzhak, an expert from the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, described the disagreement as a reflection of the political crisis between the countries. He noted that Jordan's apprehension about potential Israeli annexation of the West Bank and changes to the status quo at the Temple Mount likely contributes to the strained relations.

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fear

A Jordanian source close to the royal family emphasized the water issue's importance, stating it is "part of the peace treaty." Meanwhile, an Israeli official suggested that while there's no legal obligation for the water supply, "goodwill between the two countries" is expected. "If there is a meeting, everything will be on the table - normalization, water, and strengthening bilateral ties," the official added.

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The water issue is very important to us, and is part of the peace treaty.