"It's a lot more relatable than Napoleon or Bagration."
Amman, January 5 - Aspiring officers in the army of the Hashemite Kingdom began a new unit of their regimen this week, in which they will examine the tactical and operational principles governing the desecration of the burial sites of other faiths, as demonstrated during and after 1948 when the Arab Legion took thousands of gravestones from the Mount of Olives and used them as paving stones, construction materials, and pieces of latrine walls.
The most recent cadre of noncommissioned officer trainees in the Jordanian Armed Forces started studying and practicing for tactical situations men of their rank are expected to handle in combat. Some, whose aptitude and performance so far has placed them on track to become commissioned officers, will tackle more complex questions of command and planning, including the disposition of Jewish grave markers for use in building toilets and other repurposed ends.
Soldiers spoke with cautious optimism about the curriculum. "Until now we've mostly focused on classic military principles and concepts, with some historical case studies to illustrate," stated one trainee, a corporal who spoke on condition of anonymity under military confidentiality rules. "Now we're getting into the unique experiences of our military, and how the decisions of our commanders contributed to the outcomes of various engagements. It's a lot more relatable than Napoleon or Bagration, for example. I'm excited to discover what operational advantage we get from knocking down Jewish tombstones and defacing them."
In the days and weeks following the fall of the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem to Arab irregulars and the Jordanian Arab Legion in April 1948, Jordanian military officials expelled all Jews, then presided over the demolition of all markers of Jewish life there and in the surrounding areas, such as blowing up the two major synagogues in the Old City. Over the ensuing nineteen years, however, Jordan embarked on a more systematic effort to erase or desecrate Jewish sites under its occupation, such as setting up a shantytown and garbage dump to abut the Western Wall of the Temple Mount. The trainees voiced their hope that one day they, too, might participate in such operations of utmost tactical importance.
"Obviously, being ill-prepared to face the IDF in 1967 was worth the price," observed a cadet. "Our military must have seen something extraordinarily important, strategy-wise, to focus on asserting dominance over dead or expelled Jews instead of readying itself for the inevitable resumption of hostilities. I'd like to explore that tactical and logistical set of considerations."