Israel’s embassy in Amman yesterday congratulated Jordanians and King Abdullah II on the occasion of 100 years since the founding of their state. A post on the embassy’s official Facebook page said, "The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, under the leadership of King Abdullah II, is a key player in the region and a key and strategic partner of Israel, promoting values of peace, moderation and tolerance. We wish The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan a prosperous future and will continue to promote our bilateral relations in various fields for the benefit of both of our peoples."

The Israeli post comes as the king and Prince Hamzah feature reconciliation. Jerusalem had hesitated on how to react to developments in Jordan in recent days, with some senior officials calling to express support of the king. It was finally Defense Minister Benny Gantz who set the tone, referring to the Hamzah affair as an internal Jordanian topic while pointing out the strong bilateral security contacts. "A strong and flourishing Jordan is a security and economic interest for us, and we need to do what we can to help them. But as I said, regarding the internal developments there, that’s an internal issue," said Gantz.

Speaking with reporters, Gantz said, “Jordan is a peaceful neighbor with extraordinary strategic importance. We will do what is necessary to maintain that relationship, which has lasted some 30 years.” Gantz also referred to difficulties Jordan was facing in curbing the spread of the coronavirus. “We will do whatever is needed to assist them economically and in terms of health to help them get through the challenges they are facing. This is not only my decision, but I hope one made by the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Security Council,” said Gantz.

Gantz’s positive statements come as relations between Jerusalem and Amman keep deteriorating. Reports last month said Netanyahu has been delaying approval of a Jordanian request for water. The 1994 peace treaty stipulates Israel should transfer to Jordan certain amounts of water each month. A joint Israeli-Jordanian water committee is in charge of this issue. Over the past years, almost all of the Jordanian requests for enlarging water quotas were approved without any problem.