Editing Hussein of Jordan (section)

===Assassination attempts===
[[Hazza' Majali]] was appointed by Hussein to form a government; it consisted of loyalists who had persuaded Hussein to launch an offensive against the Iraqi government to restore the Hashemite monarchy.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}} The expedition was cancelled amid British opposition and the weakened state of the [[Royal Jordanian Air Force]].{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}} UAR agents assassinated Prime Minister Majali with a bomb planted in his office. Twenty minutes later, another explosion went off;{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}} it was intended for Hussein as it was expected he would run to the scene, which he did{{snd}}he was a few minutes late.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}} Hussein, persuaded by [[Habis Majali]], Hazza's cousin and the army chief of staff, prepared for a retaliation against Syria, whose intelligence service was responsible for the assassination.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}} He prepared three brigades in the north, but the operation was called off after combined pressures from the Americans and the British.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}} Egyptian radios denounced Hussein as the "Judas of the Arabs".{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}}[[File:Prime Ministry of Jordan terrorist attack, 29 August 1960.png|thumb|Smoke rising out of the Jordanian Prime Ministry building after the explosion that killed Prime Minister [[Hazza' Majali]] on 29 August 1960.]]

Hussein would be subjected to several more assassination attempts.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}} One involved replacing his nose drops with strong acid. Another plot was uncovered after a large number of cats were found dead in the royal palace; it emerged that the cook had been trying poisons to use against the king.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}} He was later pardoned and released after Hussein received a plea from the cook's daughter.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}} Assassination attempts against the king subsided after [[1961 Syrian coup d'état|a successful coup]] toppled the Syrian regime on 28 September 1961 and the UAR collapsed.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}} With a calmed situation in Jordan, the King issued his slogan "Let us build this country to serve this nation."{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}} But critics considered the slogan mere lip service, saying Hussein showed little interest in the economic situation of the country, unlike the military and foreign relations aspects.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=176–184}}

In January 1962 [[Wasfi Tal]] was appointed prime minister.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=185–218}} The young politician who worked to bring sweeping reforms resigned after Hussein sought to solidify his position following the rise of the Nasser-supporting [[Ba'ath party]] to the governments of Iraq and Syria in [[1963 Syrian coup d'état|two 1963 coups]].{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=185–218}} The first direct contacts between Jordan and Israel started in early 1960s; Hussein had a Jewish doctor named Emmanuel Herbert who acted as intermediary between the two nations during Hussein's visits to London.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=185–218}} In the talks, Hussein highlighted his commitment to a peaceful resolution to the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]].{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=185–218}} His secret rapprochement with Israel was followed by a public rapprochement with Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1964, which bolstered Hussein's popularity both in Jordan and in the Arab world.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=185–218}} Hussein received a warm welcome after visiting West Bank cities afterwards.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=185–218}} The rapprochement with Nasser happened during the [[1964 Arab League summit (Cairo)|1964 Arab League summit]] in Cairo, where the [[Palestine Liberation Army]] (PLA) and the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] (PLO) were established, and where Jordan agreed to join the [[United Arab Command]].{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=185–218}} During the summit Nasser also attempted to convince Hussein to purchase Soviet weapons, but the Americans provided Hussein with tanks and jets instead, with the understanding that they would not be used in the West Bank at Israel's request.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=185–218}} The PLO identified itself as a representative of the Palestinian people, which clashed with Jordan's sovereignty claim over the West Bank.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=185–218}} The PLO started to demand that the Jordanian government legalize their activities, including the setting up of Palestinian armed units to fight Israel; the requests were denied.{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|p=185–218}}