After a three month diplomatic freeze, Jordan is returning their ambassador to Israel, three months after withdrawing him in protest of Israeli restrictions on access to a Jerusalem mosque. It is planned that the envoy will return to Israel on Monday. This comes as the Jordanian government faces its gravest foreign threat since the 1967 Six-Day War. ISIS, a terrorist group known for operating in Iraq and Syria, has extended its reach to the northern and eastern Jordanian borders. From there, it is a simple march to densely populated urban areas.

Israel and Jordan have a strong working relationship concerning cultural, economic, and security arrangements since the 1994 peace treaty between the two neighboring states. A benefit of these ties has been increased military support by the United States, which is increasingly vital as the oil and fanatic flush ISIS makes strides on the border regions. The situation reached a critical point on Feb. 3, with the purported murder of captured Jordanian pilot Lt. Muath al Kasabeh by ISIS forces. In conjunction with repeated threats against the government, and weak border controls by Syria and Iraq, the need for stable diplomatic relations with the greatest regional power is readily clear to the government in Amman, Jordan.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has stated that he will “stand behind Jordan” in the face of the ISIS threat. Considering the security implications of another extremist group setting up camp near the Israeli border, this statement can be interpreted as a veiled threat of military incursion if Jordan is not able to prevent the situation from escalating.

Considering the relative military strengths of all parties involved, the fact that Jordan is sending an ambassador to Israel during a time of national panic is an indication that the Jordanian monarchy is willing to cooperate with Israel to protect citizenry. With the potential of being caught in a war between two foreign groups, Jordan is attempting to form a security coalition that will maintain the stability of the nation, and prevent further deterioration in the public trust, similar to what happened during the 2011 Arab Spring.

With the end of the wet winter season approaching, these ties are all that stands in the way of ISIS invading Jordan and terrorizing the nearly 7 million people that call it home. The message Jordan sends with its ambassador to Israel is one of defiance, against those that strive to eliminate human rights for all and impose a dictatorship that is not answerable to the people. The ISIS threat can only be neutralized through a concentrated international effort, which Jordan is striving to create.