Right, so Jordanian border guards have been intercepting drug shipments flown in from Israel by drones and balloons. And alongside the seized cargo comes a complaint that’s rather awkward for Netanyahu: Jordanian military sources say Israel is telling the world about smuggling across this border, but only the half where Israel gets to be the victim.
You know the familiar story by know I am sure. Weapons coming from Jordan. Israeli forces intercept them. Another warning about dangerous neighbours, another argument for more troops and a bigger barrier. We’re the victims, why does everybody hate us?
Except the guards on the other side have been catching things too. Narcotics coming towards Jordan from Israeli territory. Which rather spoils the impression that criminality queues politely on the Jordanian side, waiting to threaten Israel every waking hour.
According to the Jordanian sources quoted in the investigation, these have been repeated attempts over recent months. And Jordan’s interior minister, Mazen al-Faraya, had already spoken publicly about increasing drone trafficking from Israel before this week’s reporting appeared.
So this needs rather more of an answer than just pointing at the border fence and huffing, because the parcels are one problem. The gangs sending them are another. Jordan can bring down an aircraft, recover its cargo and stop that delivery. But what happens to the people who prepared it on the Israeli side? Are they being investigated? Are the launches being disrupted? Or does Jordan get to catch the shipment and then listen to another lecture about its responsibilities?
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