King Abdullah I joined the Arab forces in the 1948 war, and by the end of it took control of the West Bank and Jerusalem. The concerns of his neighbors grew when news emerged that he had been engaging in secret peace negotiations with Israel, including talks with Moshe Dayan. The King agreed to halt these talks if the Arabs were to accept that the West Bank was to be part of Jordan.

On July 20, 1951 the king was assassinated at the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem while entering the mosque for Friday prayers. The assassin was Mustafa Ashu, a 21-year old Palestinian tailor and a member of the Jihad al-Muqadass. He had hid behind the gates of the mosque and as the king left, shot him with three bullets to his chest and head. Abdullah’s grandson was also at the scene, and though targeted by the assassin as well, he survived the attack. The King was buried in the Royal Tombs in the Royal Court in Amman.

Mustafa Ashu was a supporter of the former Mufti of Jerusalem Hajj Amin al-Husseiny who was an enemy of King Abdullah I and an active opponent to Zionism. When King Abdallah annexed the West Bank- a move that was welcomed by American and British governments- he removed Hajj Amin al-Husseiny from his post and appointed Hussam el Din Jarallah as the new Mufti. This of course further provoked al-Husseiny and weakened his movement for an Arab state in Palestine.

A number of conspirators were accused of being involved in the murder of the King. The former military governor of Jerusalem, Colonel Abdullah Al Tell was found to have given the order for the attack. As he had been in close contact with the former Mufti of the city, the two of them, along with Ashu and two other conspirators from Jerusalem were sentenced to death.

King Adbullah I was an important ally to both the west and Israel. Upon his death, The Guardian reported Winston Churchill to have said: “I deeply regret the murder of this wise and faithful Arab ruler, who never deserted the cause of Britain and held out the hand of reconciliation to Israel.” The Israeli Ambassador in London also commented on his death saying: “The assassination of King Abdullah has not only deprived the people of Jordan of their monarch but constitutes a serious blow to peace and stability in the Middle East. King Abdullah was a man who worked hard for understanding and peace between Israel and Jordan and whose efforts, if successful, would have contributed much to the welfare and progress of the entire area.”