Kimberly Katz, Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2005. 214 pages.

For centuries, Jerusalem has been revered as the holy site of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; strategically coveted as a means to consolidate territorial gains; and conquered thirty-seven times between its foundation and the sequestering of its ancient hub by Israeli forces during the Six-Day War. As the region underwent significant change after World War II, the Holy City increasingly became contested. While the Palestinians nurtured concerns regarding land sales and the escalating influx of Jewish settlers, their apprehension became lost amidst the tussle for authority between Transjordan, which sought to affirm its role as custodian of the holy places, and the nascent state of Israel, which strove to strengthen its presence in the city. Charting the endeavors of KingAbdullah and KingHussein to assert Transjordan’s authority over Jerusalemdespite international and Israeli rivalry, Katz affords a unique insight into the multifarious means used to court its residents through events, banknotes, and stamps between 1948 and 1967.

Over the course of seven chapters, the author imbues the text with illuminating figures and maps. Most notable is the 1946 “Palestinian Aid” stamp series initiated during the Bludan Conference in June 1946, during which Abdullah directed member states of the Arab League “to issue a Palestinian stamp whose revenue would be earmarked for Palestine” (p. 56). Yet Abdullah’s pro-active stance – the Jordanian Parliament implemented the Arab League resolution on 22 July 1946, followed by the “Additional Stamps Law” Temporary Law 20 of the same year – was ultimately marred by his series of surreptitious meetings with the JewishAgency. Despite this  duplicity, the merit of stamps in preserving stable relations with the Palestinians is adeptly demonstrated throughout the chapter. Similarly, the political nuances behind postcards depicting King Hussein and Gamal Abdul Nasser affectionately united over the Dome of the Rock, as well as an additional series of stamps celebrating Pope Paul VI’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1964, serve as visual reminders of Jordan’s tentative grip on authority during the post-war period and the ever-present desire to retain amicable relations with neighboring leaders.

Drawing on royal speeches, legislation, newspapers, foreign archives, visual sources, and the recollections of individuals residing in Jerusalem during the given period, academic analyses are fused with personal accounts to produce a well-rounded insight into Jordanian Jerusalem. Opening with chapter 1, “Transjordan-in-the-Making,” the Hashemites’ politico-historical background and involvement in the Holy City is recounted, commencing with Sharif Husayn and culminating with Abdullah ibn al-Husayn. Establishing a foundation from which to venture into the Jordanian administration of Jerusalem, Katz explores the relationship between the Hashemite monarchy and the British during the mandate.

Equally noteworthy is the aforementioned Jewish Agency, with whom Abdullah discussed means of developing Transjordan in Palestine.Whether motivated by avarice or a dogged determination to save Jordan from ruin, Abdullah’s “unholy alliance” with the Zionists is objectively accounted for, initially concluding that the unlikely union converged only on the intention of “preventing a Palestinian state fromemerging between their two countries under the rule of themufti, al-HajjAmin, their shared enemy” (p. 30). Nevertheless, the result of Abdullah’s action is candidly recounted:

For all of the scheming that transpired between Abdullah and officials in the political section of the Jewish Agency, there was no explicit deal struck.Abdullah and the Zionists, with help from the British and the weak military efforts of the Arab states, prevented the creation of a Palestinian state. (p. 31)

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