In this EISMENA interview, Aaron Magid (Washington, DC) discusses his book The Most American King on King Abdullah II of Jordan — from the King’s personal ties to the United States to Jordan’s domestic pressures, reform promises, and the country’s regional balancing act amid major Middle East crises.
We cover: political liberalization vs authoritarian drift, the economy and unemployment, the Muslim Brotherhood, U.S. aid and leverage, Jordan’s relationship to Israel/Palestine, Gaza scenarios, Syria/border security, and why the monarchy has remained resilient.
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:17 Guest intro + book context
1:28 Why write this biography? Sources + biggest surprises
3:39 Why “The Most American King”
5:32 Jordan–U.S. ties over time: Iraq wars, aid & security cooperation
7:45 Reforms & democratization promises (Arab Spring, elections, parliament) 10:19 Inside Jordan today: economy, unemployment & “Jordan First”
13:40 Islamists, Hamas & the Muslim Brotherhood
15:43 U.S. leverage: aid, constraints & Jordan’s balancing act
17:01 Joining U.S. operations (anti-ISIS) vs domestic backlash
19:29 Trump era: peace plan, Gaza relocation debate & managing tensions
20:34 Demographics & the “Palestine question” inside Jordan
22:49 Gaza war: scenarios, red lines & the two-state solution
26:16 Regional strategy: Israel/water, Syria border & security challenges
31:34 Why Abdullah stays in power: security forces, Hamzah affair, protests
33:19 Monarchy legitimacy + restrained use of force
35:19 Legacy: stability vs repression + economic frustration
38:36 Where to get the book + closing
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