A report in Ynet this morning extensively quotes a senior official at the Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv who says that Israel and Jordan are cooperating over the military advances being made by Sunni Jihadist group ISIS.

ISIS, which has fought the Assad regime in Syria for some time, has recently turned its attention to neighbouring Iraq, making significant military gains and forcing many Iraqis to flee their homes. The ISIS advance was already a significant concern for many Western countries, who are keen to see democracy thrive in Iraq. However, concerns will have been compounded by news earlier this week that ISIS had captured a border crossing between Iraq and Jordan, a country viewed as a close Western strategic ally in the region. This development will also likely alarm Israel, which enjoys largely warm relations with neighbouring Jordan since the two countries signed a peace treaty in 1994.

Although there has been no official Israeli response to the news, the unnamed diplomatic source at the Jordanian Embassy in Israel said, “There is a very good cooperation between us [Jordan and Israel] regarding ISIS’ growing presence in Iraq and Syria, but also on issues relating to other radical forces in the Middle East which have their sights set on Israel and Jordan.”

It has been widely reported that the Jordanian military has bolstered its forces in the Iraqi border region. The embassy official said, “The developments on the other side of the border are still unclear, but the Jordanian army is already doing whatever it can to quell any threat from the area,” adding, “As of now the border crossing is operative.”

Asked whether there is support for ISIS in Jordan, the official said, “It is no secret there are radical forces in Amman. The developments in Iraq have helped encourage fanatics to admit they support the organisation. Nonetheless, as of now, we have seen no real connection between those who expressed support and ISIS in Iraq.”