Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — Jordan, under pressure from the Islamist opposition, appears ready to again host Hamas, a report said.

The Hudson Institute asserted that Jordan’s King Abdullah was preparing to welcome Hamas after its expulsion more than a decade ago. The institute, in a report by Israeli analyst Khaled Abu Toameh, said Jordan was expected to approve a request for Hamas to relocate from Syria to the Hashemite kingdom.

“Most recently, reports indicate that the Jordanians may approve a request by Hamas to move its offices from Damascus to Amman,” the report, titled “Jordan Courts Islamists,” said. “Relations between the Syrian regime and Hamas have been strained as a result of the movement’s refusal to support [President] Bashar Assad’s ruthless crackdown on his opponents.”

In September, Jordan allowed Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Masha’al to visit Amman to see his ailing mother. This marked his second visit to Jordan since 1999, when Masha’al was permitted to see his dying father.

The report said the expected return of Hamas marked an effort by Abdullah to appease radical Muslims, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Abu Toameh said the Jordanian king was influenced by the Islamist rise in Egypt, Libya, the Palestinian Authority and Tunisia.

“In the past few months Jordan has been hit by a wave of weekly anti-government demonstrations,” the report said. “For the first time, former senior security and civilian officials have joined the protests — a move seen by many as a direct and unprecedented challenge to King Abdullah.”

Jordan has accused Hamas of trying to use the kingdom as a launching pad for attacks against Israel and the PA. At one point, Jordan reported the capture of a Hamas cell alleged to have smuggled weapons for attacks in the Hashemite kingdom.

Still, the king has approved high-level contacts between the Amman government and Hamas. A leading aide to Masha’al was said to have telephoned congratulations to newly-appointed Prime Minister Awn Khawasneh while Hamas representatives conducted visits to Jordan.

Khawasneh has also invited the Muslim Brotherhood to join his government. The report said the new prime minister received approval from Abdullah to issue the invitation.

“The king’s gestures to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood are a clear attempt to absorb growing discontent in the kingdom over his failure to implement major reforms that would limit the role of the Jordanian security forces in civilian and political matters,” the report said. “The king is  afraid of an Arab Spring in his country. But the only way to avoid a larger revolt against his regime is by embarking on real and comprehensive reforms in all walks of life — not by engaging radical Islamists who in the long run pose an even bigger threat.”

  Hashemite, Khaled Masha’al, King Abdullah, Muslim Brotherhood, Report: Jordan seen approving move by Hamas from Syria, Syria