Tribalism and tradition have lent legitimacy to Hashimite rule. The legitimacy of tradition, considered almost synonymous with beduin or tribal culture, has been defended as part of the near sacrosanct foundations of the state and as central to cultural heritage. Thus, the role of tribes and tribalism, although transformed, remains a fundamental pillar of both society and political culture even if numerically few Jordanians live the traditional life of the nomadic beduin. In 1998 King Hussein said that “the tribes of Jordan have always been at the centre of our confidence, a source of our pride and a target of our attention since the very beginning. The tribes of Jordan are our kinsmen who have served the Kingdom under the most adverse conditions and circumstances, always performing their duty to the nation. Nevertheless, the tribes lived only in King Hussein's rhetoric lively. At present his son, AbdullahⅡ also is using the tribes, Jordanians from East Bank for strengthening his religious and political power against Palestinian-Jordanians, Muslim Brotherhood who are against his policies. In this process the tribalism which strengthens the solidarity of Jordanians from East Bank has been more and more active. Especially in the elections since 1990s the prominent role of tribalism is to have reconstructed the identity in a modern Jordanian State against Muslim Brotherhood who Palestinian- Jordanians have been supporting.

Tribalism and tradition have lent legitimacy to Hashimite rule. The legitimacy of tradition, considered almost synonymous with beduin or tribal culture, has been defended as part of the near sacrosanct foundations of the state and as central to cultural heritage. Thus, the role of tribes and tribalism, although transformed, remains a fundamental pillar of both society and political culture even if numerically few Jordanians live the traditional life of the nomadic beduin. In 1998 King Hussein said that “the tribes of Jordan have always been at the centre of our confidence, a source of our pride and a target of our attention since the very beginning. The tribes of Jordan are our kinsmen who have served the Kingdom under the most adverse conditions and circumstances, always performing their duty to the nation. Nevertheless, the tribes lived only in King Hussein's rhetoric lively. At present his son, AbdullahⅡ also is using the tribes, Jordanians from East Bank for strengthening his religious and political power against Palestinian-Jordanians, Muslim Brotherhood who are against his policies. In this process the tribalism which strengthens the solidarity of Jordanians from East Bank has been more and more active. Especially in the elections since 1990s the prominent role of tribalism is to have reconstructed the identity in a modern Jordanian State against Muslim Brotherhood who Palestinian- Jordanians have been supporting.

Tribes in Jordan, Tribalism in Jordan, Kings of Jordan, Jordanians, Palestinians, Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan