Jordan has reintroduced military conscription 34 years after ending it, which some see as a response to Israel’s increasingly explicit expansionist ambitions.
Compulsory military service is being reintroduced in Jordan, over three decades after conscription was ended in the country in 1991, a move observers are attributing to increasing regional instability, in particular around mounting statements by Israeli officials alluding to Israel’s expansionist ambitions.
The decision was announced by Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah on Sunday, who asserted that “young people must be ready to serve the nation and defend it”.
The move follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement last week expressing his commitment to the “Greater Israel vision”, understood to refer to an expansionist vision held by ultranationalist Israelis, that lays claim to the occupied West Bank and Gaza as well as parts of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.
His statements have provoked widespread condemnation among Arab states across the region, who have branded his comments a “direct threat to Arab national security“.
However, some, like Palestinian Journalist Hussam Abu Hamed, writing in The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister edition, have questioned if this is really behind the kingdom’s reinstatement of conscription. He suggests that while regional tensions and Israeli statements may have played a role, Jordan’s ability to defend itself against Israel’s territorial ambitions is primarily hindered by Jordan’s longstanding reliance on Israel’s closest allies – the US and Europe, both of whom have furnished Jordan with billions of dollars to maintain its financial and security stability.
He said while the motives were unclear, the move could also be seen as a symbolic measure to rally support and provide temporary employment in the face of domestic discontent.
Official government spokesperson Mohammad Momani revealed details of the new National Service Programme at a press conference on Monday, where he explained that the first draft would be formed in February, for which 6,000 18-year-old male citizens born after 2007 would be selected.
The programme would begin with 6,000 recruits – split into three groups of 2,000 – before this number is expanded to 10,000. The aim was for numbers to grow in the coming years until the programme was able to accommodate the majority of eligible youth, said Momani.
Conscripts would be selected electronically through a neutral statistical draw, which would choose 300 from each governorate, except Amman (1,500), Zarqa (900), and Irbid (900).
“The programme aims to strengthen national identity and shape young people physically, intellectually, and culturally, instilling values of discipline, hard work, perseverance, teamwork, a volunteer mentality, and responsibility,” said Momani.
The planned programme will include two main tracks: a military component, which will make up the majority of the training, and a theoretical knowledge component, which will consist of lectures on topics provided by civilian specialists in fields such as national history, economics, and culture.
Momani explained that preparations had been underway for around a year for compulsory national service to be reintroduced, adding that the government would present the justifications for the required amendments to the National Service and Reserve Service Law at the next Cabinet session before forwarding them to Parliament to be voted on.
Brigadier General Mustafa Al-Hayari, Head of Military Media in the Jordanian Armed Forces, explained at Monday’s press conference that the army would be responsible for implementing the programme “according to the highest training and logistical standards, and for organising the first three rounds of the National Service Programme, each lasting three months”.
Each conscript would receive a monthly stipend of 100 Jordanian dinars (about $140). Phones and communication devices would be banned, but conscripts would be able to communicate with their families through an official communication channel set up through the military unit switchboard.
“The call-up process will take place through the Ministry of Interior, police directorates, the government ‘Sanad’ application, and text messages, once the legal amendments are approved,” he added.
Hamada Abu Nijmeh, CEO of the Workers House Center, a Jordanian labour rights organisation, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that reactivating the National Service Programme “represents an important step, not limited to defending the nation – though that’s a fundamental goal – but also extending into factors around growth and the economy due to its direct link to the labour market, especially through providing the knowledge track which relates to employment. The programme aims to prepare young people to acquire discipline, responsibility, and team spirit – qualities essential in every modern labour market.”
