Regional political developments and domestic economic challenges dominated opinion and analysis pieces in Jordanian newspapers today. Columnists focused on developments in Jerusalem and the West Bank, Lebanon’s future under emerging security arrangements, Jordan’s unemployment crisis, the issue of government financial arrears, and the political future of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mohammad Abu Rumman: Jerusalem and the West Bank as the “Grand Prize”

Columnist Mohammad Abu Rumman warned of what he described as escalating threats to the Hashemite custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. He argued that reports of US-Israeli plans to weaken this custodianship cannot be separated from Israeli policies already being implemented on the ground.

Abu Rumman maintained that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s denial of knowledge of such plans should not be interpreted as a genuine guarantee against Israeli initiatives. Instead, he argued that developments on the ground point to the continued Judaization of Jerusalem and efforts to alter the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He stressed that the Hashemite custodianship extends far beyond administrative and service functions, serving as a political, legal and diplomatic framework for protecting Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city’s Islamic and Christian holy sites. According to Abu Rumman, Jordan has played a central role for decades in monitoring and challenging Israeli actions in Jerusalem, making the custodianship a key obstacle to attempts to impose a new reality in the city.

He further warned that undermining the custodianship would grant Israel greater freedom to reshape arrangements at Al-Aqsa, similar to what occurred at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. Abu Rumman also linked tensions between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the possibility of Jerusalem and the West Bank being offered as a political reward to Israel’s religious nationalist camp ahead of future elections, arguing that these two territories are likely to become the region’s primary battleground.

Lamis Andoni: Lebanon Faces the Risk of Israeli Tutelage

Lamis Andoni devoted her column to the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, arguing that it goes beyond a simple halt to hostilities and could pave the way for a new form of Israeli influence over Lebanon.

According to Andoni, proposals for “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon are not merely technical arrangements but part of broader efforts by Israel and the United States to establish new security realities that would effectively make the Lebanese state responsible for implementing Israeli security objectives on Lebanese territory.

She criticized the absence of clear provisions requiring Israeli withdrawal or preventing forced displacement, arguing that the agreement reflects a significant imbalance of power, with Lebanon negotiating from a position of weakness while stronger actors imposed their political and security conditions.

Andoni also linked the agreement to a broader US strategy aimed at integrating Israel into regional security and military alliances, suggesting that Lebanon could eventually be drawn into this framework. She rejected claims of a strategic rift between Trump and Netanyahu, insisting that US support for Israel remains unchanged and that any disagreements concern tactics rather than objectives.

In conclusion, she warned that Lebanon is facing a project that threatens its sovereignty and called for a more active Arab role to prevent what she described as a slide toward Israeli tutelage.

Ahmad Awad: The Danger of Normalizing High Unemployment

On the domestic economic front, Ahmad Awad addressed Jordan’s unemployment crisis, warning against allowing persistently high unemployment rates to become a normalized reality rather than treating them as a structural challenge requiring comprehensive solutions.

Awad acknowledged that unemployment fell to 16.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026 but argued that the decline remains modest and does not represent a fundamental transformation in the labor market.

He criticized previous economic approaches that relied heavily on investment incentives and low-wage policies, arguing that they failed to generate sufficient and sustainable employment opportunities while contributing to greater social inequality and wealth concentration.

Awad called for a comprehensive national employment strategy centered on education reform, vocational and technical training, and the creation of decent jobs offering fair wages and meaningful social protection. He emphasized that unemployment should be viewed not merely as a statistical indicator but as a measure of the effectiveness and fairness of the country’s economic model.

Salameh Al-Darawi: Government Arrears Through the Lens of Numbers

Salameh Al-Darawi focused on the issue of government financial arrears, urging readers to assess the matter based on facts and figures rather than political rhetoric.

He noted that accumulated arrears owed by the central government reached approximately JD1.4 billion by the end of 2025, but argued that the government has begun addressing the problem through substantial repayments.

Al-Darawi highlighted payments made across the health, energy, water, local administration and export sectors, contending that these are not merely accounting adjustments but measures that directly support public services and institutional sustainability.

He concluded that the real question is not whether the problem exists, but whether governments continue to postpone it or actively address it. In his view, current figures suggest a serious effort to reduce this long-standing financial burden.

Hamada Faraena: Netanyahu’s Downfall Could Begin with Palestinian Citizens of Israel

Hamada Faraena examined the future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arguing that meaningful political change in Israel may ultimately come from within the Palestinian community inside Israel.

Faraena suggested that higher voter turnout among Palestinian citizens and broader unity among Arab political parties could strengthen Arab representation in the Knesset and weaken the ability of the far right to maintain its governing majority.

Reviewing the balance of power among Israeli and Arab parties, he argued that Netanyahu’s previous electoral success was largely driven by alliances between nationalist and religious right-wing forces, combined with the failure of some Arab and left-wing groups to cross the electoral threshold. He believes that emerging alliances between Arab parties and sections of the Israeli left could produce different outcomes in future elections.

Overall, today’s opinion pieces reflected a strong focus on issues of sovereignty, national identity and regional transformation, alongside pressing domestic economic concerns. While Abu Rumman and Andoni warned of Israeli projects affecting Jerusalem and Lebanon, Awad highlighted unemployment as a test of Jordan’s economic model, Al-Darawi offered a data-driven assessment of government arrears, and Faraena explored Netanyahu’s political future through the lens of electoral dynamics inside Israel.