Showing posts with label Jordan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jordan. Show all posts
Friday, April 10, 2015
Sunday, February 15, 2015
An Open Letter to Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan
February 15,2015
written by: Sheila Quinn
An Open Letter to Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan
In the name of The God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Dear Rania Al Abdullah,
As-salamu alaikum.
As a Muslim- and as a slave of Allah- I must advise you concerning your behavior and the behavior of your husband, Abdullah ibn Hussein.
An English translation of what Allah says in The Qur’an is:
“To Allah doth belong the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein, and it is He who hath power over all things.” (Sura: Al Maida #5; ayah # 120)
“O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: they are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust.” (Sura Al Maida; ayah #51)
“Certainly they disbelieve who say: ‘Allah is Christ the son of Mary.’ But said Christ; ‘O children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord’ whoever joins other gods with Allah,-Allah will forbid him the garden, and the fire will be his abode. There will be for the wrong-doers be no one to help. They disbelieve who say Allah is one of three for there is no God except one God. If they desist not from their word, verily a grievous chastisement will befall the disbelievers among them.” (Maida; aya’an #72-73)
“Oh you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just- that is next to piety; and fear Allah. For Allah is well acquainted with all that ye do. (Sura: Maida; ayah #8)
“Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him...” (Sura: Al Nisaa #4; ayah #48)
“Oh ye who believe! If ye obey the unbelievers, they will drive you back on your heels, and ye will turn back to your own loss.” (Sura: Al Imran #3; ayah # 149)
“O ye who believe! Devour not usury, doubled and multiplied. But fear Allah-that ye may prosper” (Sura: Al Imran; ayah #130)
“Say! ‘ O Allah1 Lord of power, thou givest power to who thou pleaseth, and thou strippest of power from whom thou pleases… verily over all things thou hast power.” (Sura: Al Imran; ayah #26)
Everyone and everything belongs to Allah. All of the earth belongs to Allah-including Jordan. Your husband-as the leader of Jordan- has a trust from Allah for which he is accountable in front of Allah on The Day of Judgment. Your husband should govern Jordan in accordance with the teachings of The Qur’an- not against the teachings of The Qur’an. Some of his policies are against The Qur’an. Therefore, he should repent to Allah and mend his ways.
“To Allah doth belong the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein, and it is He who hath power over all things.” (Sura: Al Maida #5; ayah #120)
What are some of his policies which are against The Qur’an? One of the teachings of The Qur’an is justice.
“Oh you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just- that is next to piety; and fear Allah. For Allah is well acquainted with all that ye do. (Sura: Maida; ayah #8).
Is your husband just? No! He isn’t… He is a tyrant. Some of his policies are policies of tyranny. A leader should always be open to advice and criticism. Public criticism of a leader-or his policy- should not be criminalized. To criminalize such criticism is tyranny. There is a law in Jordan which criminalizes criticism. Any Jordanian citizen who openly criticizes your husband is risking the possibility of being arrested and jailed for two or three years.
When your husband first became the leader of Jordan he would speak passionately about the rights of citizens-yet, he has violated those rights time and time again. An example of this is his policy against anyone who criticizes the policy of other countries. Within the last few months a Jordanian Muslim brother-Zaki Bani Rsheid- was arrested for posting an article on the internet which criticized the government of the United Arab Emirates. This is clearly tyranny… but it is more than that. This Muslim brother was obeying Allah, and because of his obedience to Allah he was arrested!
Some other policies which are against The Qur’an include: involvement in Riba; sanctioning and supporting the tyranny of the regimes of other countries; indirectly approving of kufr through his friendship with The Pope; being involved in idolatry through not destroying statues which are in Jordan; a peace treaty with The Zionists, and involving Jordanian soldiers in situations that they shouldn’t be in.
Involvement in Riba:
Allah makes it clear in The Qur’an that trade is trade and that riba is riba. These are two completely different things. Any amount of interest is riba- even a Qursh, or Fil of interest is riba. It is not acceptable for any Muslim country to be involved in Riba -no matter how small it may be.
Jordan is involved with The IMF (International Monetary Fund). Any loans from The IMF is unacceptable. Why? Because any loan involves interest; and any interest-of any amount- is riba. Anyone who is involved with riba is risking Allah’s anger. Your husband and his administration should not get any loans from The IMF. He should stop paying any money to The IMF.
Sanctioning and Supporting Tyranny:
Al-Sisi of Egypt is a tyrant who has imprisoned the democratically elected President of Egypt. He has slaughtered hundreds (perhaps thousands) of Egyptian civilians on the streets of Egypt just because they peacefully protested against him. He has also jailed large numbers of civilians for speaking up against him; as well as journalists who dared to write the truth about what was happening in Egypt.
Your husband and his administration has approved of Al-Sisi’s behavior in two separate occasions.
The first occasion was when your husband went to Egypt to congratulate Al-Sisi on his being “elected”. In Al-Sisi’s attempt to validate his criminal behavior he held a farcical election-an election in which more than ninety percent of the Egyptian people boycotted. In boycotting that election the Egyptians overwhelmingly rejected Al-Sisi and his behavior.
The second occasion was when Al-Sisi came to Jordan to talk to your husband about being allies in fighting against “terrorism”. Such talk is hypocritical. Al-Sisi, himself, is a terrorist. And your husband is supportive of his terrorism. Allah says in The Qur’an that anyone who is supportive of any evil shall bear the burden of that evil. Your husband is supportive of Al-Sisi’s evil-therefore, according to The Qur’an, your husband is an accomplice to Al-Sisi’s evil behavior.
Approving of Kufr:
Is your husband a Muslim? Really? Than why is he sanctioning kufr? Through your husband’s friendship with The Pope he is sanctioning kufr. Anyone who thinks that Prophet Isa (Jesus) is The God is making kufr with The God. The Pope not only is making kufr himself; but he is promoting kufr.
Involvement in Idolatry:
There is an idol in Jordan-it is in a place called Karama. All statues are idols. Your husband and his administration should publicly destroy this idol. Prophet Muhammad destroyed the idols that were in The Kaaba. There should be no idols/statues in any Muslim country- such a thing is unacceptable.
Peace Treaty with the Zionists:
What should I say about this? Where should I begin? Palestine is a Muslim country whose borders are from the river to the sea. The Israeli State has absolutely no legitimacy. The Israeli State is a product of colonialism. The U.N. has never had the authority to create nation-states.
The Israeli State is a mafia that has been committing state terrorism against The Palestinian people for decades. It has been stealing land and victimizing civilians-for decades!
The very idea of any Muslim making a peace treaty with such an entity-much less being a friend to it-is absurd. Is your husband a Muslim? Why is he helping the Zionists to commit atrocities against Palestinian civilians? With all the evil that The Zionists have done- and still are doing- why is he a friend of theirs?
Involving Jordanian Soldiers in Situations Outside of Jordan:
Jordanian soldiers should not be involved in any action outside of Jordan. Their involvement in such countries as: Afghanistan and Syria is irresponsible. They should not be used as expendable pawns for the agenda of The New World Order.
What is my advice to you? You are a representative of your husband and his administration. As his representative, you are accountable in front of Allah for whatever evil he does. You should be outspoken against that evil. For example: You should be outspoken against your husband’s tyranny. If you do not speak up against it-than you are an accomplice to it.
“If Allah touch thee with affliction, none can remove it but He…He is Supreme over His servants. And He is The Wise, acquainted with all things” (translation of Qur’an; Sura: Al-Anam #6; Aya’an #17-18)
“He is supreme over his servants, and He sets guards over you…Say, He hath power to send calamities on you from above and below…” (translation of Qur’an: Sura: Al- Anam #6;Ayat #61-65)
Monday, December 1, 2014
King, Sisi discuss bilateral ties, anti-terrorism efforts
Nov 30, 2014
Source: Jordan Times
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah returned home on Sunday after a brief working visit to Egypt where he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and discussed with him means to bolster Jordanian-Egyptian relations, in addition to regional developments.
During a meeting in Cairo, talks focused on international and regional efforts to combat terrorism, and the two leaders underlined their support for the international coalition that is fighting terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq, according to a Royal Court statement.
They also discussed efforts to achieve Middle East peace, stressing the importance of working to create a suitable climate to revive peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis to arrive at a solution founded on the two-state formula, relevant international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
During a one-on-one encounter, which was followed by a broader meeting, the King highlighted the situation in the Holy City of Jerusalem. He briefed Sisi on Jordan’s efforts in defence of the holy sites there and in confronting Israeli practices targeting Al Aqsa Mosque and the rest of Al Haram Al Sharif.
Regarding developments in Syria and Iraq, the two sides stressed the importance of arriving at a comprehensive political solution for the crisis in Syria that ends the suffering of the Syrian people and safeguards the unity and the safety of the war-hit country.
The Monarch and the Egyptian president also stressed the importance of supporting all efforts that strengthen the unity of the Iraqi people, empower them to overcome the challenges facing them and ensure the participation of the different segments of the Iraqi society in the ongoing political process.
King Abdullah and Sisi stressed the strong historic Jordanian-Egyptian relations and their commitment to build on previous accomplishments, the statement added.
King Abdullah underscored the important role of Egypt at the Arab and regional levels, stressing the Kingdom’s commitment to continued coordination and consultation with Egypt vis-à-vis various issues of mutual concern.
Sisi expressed Egypt’s appreciation of Jordan’s stands in support of Egypt and its people as well as its efforts to serve Arab causes and deal with the various challenges.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Jordan signs MOU to buy $15b Leviathan gas
03/09/2014
Hedy Cohen
Source: Globes Israel's Business Arena
The partners in the Leviathan natural gas reservoir have signed another agreement with Jordan. The new agreement is worth $15 billion, much larger than the two previous deals signed. Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) trading in the shares of the partners - Ratio Oil Exploration (1992) LP (TASE:RATI.L), Avner Oil and Gas LP (TASE: AVNR.L), and Delek Drilling Limited Partnership (TASE: DEDR.L) - was halted ahead of the news.
Delek Drilling CEO Yossi Abu and Noble Energy senior VP J. Keith Elliot are currently in Jordan to sign a giant deal with the Jordanian Electric Power Company (JEPCO). The deal covers 15 years, during which 3 billion cubic meters (BCM) of gas will be sold to Jordan annually - a total of 45 BCM.
Jordan's total natural gas consumption is estimated at 4.5 BCM annually, and as of now, it must use diesel fuel and fuel oil as a substitute for gas. Jordan formerly imported 2.5 BCM from Egypt through the Arab Gas Pipeline (AGP). The shortage of gas in Egypt and the problems and sabotage in Sinai, however, eventually caused an almost total halt in the flow of gas to Jordan.
According to an Israeli cabinet decision dated June 23, 2013, up to 40% of the natural gas reserves discovered in Israel can be exported either by pipeline or as liquid natural gas (LNG). Of the 113 trillion cubic feet (TCF) consumed worldwide, only 11 TCF are consumed as LNG, because it is usually expensive, takes a great deal of time, and is more technically complex than gas through a pipeline.
This explains why the Tamar and Leviathan partners want to use a pipeline for exports; furthermore, a land-based pipeline is cheaper than an undersea pipeline. Gas can be exported by pipeline from the Tamar and Leviathan reservoirs to the Palestinian Authority (PA), Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, and Turkey, of which the PA and Jordan are the most accessible. The PA's consumption capacity is limited, which makes the Jordanian market the most attractive.
Simultaneously with its negotiations with Israel, Jordan is also considering other options for importing natural gas. These include importing gas from Basra, Iraq to Aqaba Port in Jordan, LNG imports through Aqaba Port while using a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) to reconvert LNG to gas, and additional gas exploration in Jordan (an option that has not produced many results to date, given that only 200,000 cubic meters, all consumed in 2013, have been found there so far).
Last February, the Tamar partners announced that an agreement had been signed to sell natural gas from the reservoir to Jordanian companies Arab Potash and Jordan Bromine, which operate on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea. The gas was sold through a US company named NBL Eastern Mediterranean Marketing controlled by Noble Energy, which owns 36% of the Tamar reservoir, while Isramco owns 28.75%, Delek Drilling and Avner 15.625% each, and Dor Gas 4%. The agreement is for 15 years, with a total value of $500 million. Under this agreement, 1.8 BCM will be supplied to the Jordanian companies, and gas is slated to start flowing in 2016, when the pipeline to Jordan is completed.
Israel Natural Gas Lines (INGL) will be responsible for laying the pipeline, with financing from the Tamar partners. As of now, however, there are still problems with the pipeline route, which is expected to pass through nature reserves at the southern Dead Sea.
Link: globes.co.il/en/article-jordan-signs-mou-to-buy-15b-leviathan-gas-1000969042.
Hedy Cohen
Source: Globes Israel's Business Arena
03/09/2014, 17:07
The Jordanian Electric Power Company wants to buy 45 BCM of gas over 15 years.
The partners in the Leviathan natural gas reservoir have signed another agreement with Jordan. The new agreement is worth $15 billion, much larger than the two previous deals signed. Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) trading in the shares of the partners - Ratio Oil Exploration (1992) LP (TASE:RATI.L), Avner Oil and Gas LP (TASE: AVNR.L), and Delek Drilling Limited Partnership (TASE: DEDR.L) - was halted ahead of the news.
Delek Drilling CEO Yossi Abu and Noble Energy senior VP J. Keith Elliot are currently in Jordan to sign a giant deal with the Jordanian Electric Power Company (JEPCO). The deal covers 15 years, during which 3 billion cubic meters (BCM) of gas will be sold to Jordan annually - a total of 45 BCM.
Jordan's total natural gas consumption is estimated at 4.5 BCM annually, and as of now, it must use diesel fuel and fuel oil as a substitute for gas. Jordan formerly imported 2.5 BCM from Egypt through the Arab Gas Pipeline (AGP). The shortage of gas in Egypt and the problems and sabotage in Sinai, however, eventually caused an almost total halt in the flow of gas to Jordan.
According to an Israeli cabinet decision dated June 23, 2013, up to 40% of the natural gas reserves discovered in Israel can be exported either by pipeline or as liquid natural gas (LNG). Of the 113 trillion cubic feet (TCF) consumed worldwide, only 11 TCF are consumed as LNG, because it is usually expensive, takes a great deal of time, and is more technically complex than gas through a pipeline.
This explains why the Tamar and Leviathan partners want to use a pipeline for exports; furthermore, a land-based pipeline is cheaper than an undersea pipeline. Gas can be exported by pipeline from the Tamar and Leviathan reservoirs to the Palestinian Authority (PA), Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, and Turkey, of which the PA and Jordan are the most accessible. The PA's consumption capacity is limited, which makes the Jordanian market the most attractive.
Simultaneously with its negotiations with Israel, Jordan is also considering other options for importing natural gas. These include importing gas from Basra, Iraq to Aqaba Port in Jordan, LNG imports through Aqaba Port while using a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) to reconvert LNG to gas, and additional gas exploration in Jordan (an option that has not produced many results to date, given that only 200,000 cubic meters, all consumed in 2013, have been found there so far).
Last February, the Tamar partners announced that an agreement had been signed to sell natural gas from the reservoir to Jordanian companies Arab Potash and Jordan Bromine, which operate on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea. The gas was sold through a US company named NBL Eastern Mediterranean Marketing controlled by Noble Energy, which owns 36% of the Tamar reservoir, while Isramco owns 28.75%, Delek Drilling and Avner 15.625% each, and Dor Gas 4%. The agreement is for 15 years, with a total value of $500 million. Under this agreement, 1.8 BCM will be supplied to the Jordanian companies, and gas is slated to start flowing in 2016, when the pipeline to Jordan is completed.
Israel Natural Gas Lines (INGL) will be responsible for laying the pipeline, with financing from the Tamar partners. As of now, however, there are still problems with the pipeline route, which is expected to pass through nature reserves at the southern Dead Sea.
Link: globes.co.il/en/article-jordan-signs-mou-to-buy-15b-leviathan-gas-1000969042.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Jordan's king pushes to expand military, intelligence authority
August 25, 2014
Osama Al Sharif
Source: Al- Monitor
On Aug. 14, the Jordanian government announced that it would ask parliament to approve two constitutional amendments giving the king sole authority to appoint the head of the armed forces and director of the kingdom’s General Intelligence Department (GID). Almost three years ago, in October 2011, in response to public protests calling for political reforms, King Abdullah II had approved a number of constitutional amendments that curtailed some of his powers and allowed for the creation of a Constitutional Court and an Independent Elections Commission.
These reforms were hailed as a major step toward full constitutional monarchy. Jordan’s version of the Arab Spring was largely peaceful and bloodless, and Abdullah was able to project himself as a champion of political reforms that would lead, according to statements made in June 2011, to the formation of parliamentary governments. That promise remains to be fulfilled.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Islamic Action Front (IAF) boycotted the 2013 legislative elections, and other political parties performed poorly, failing to fill the vacuum. Weak and unpopular, the parties' presence in the current Lower House, comprised mostly of independents, is modest. The government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, appointed by Abdullah in October 2012, was supposed to include elected deputies as a precursor to the formation of parliamentary governments. To date, however, Ensour has failed to fulfill that pledge, probably due to royal objections.
It is clear that Abdullah instructed Ensour to handle the two constitutional amendments. Under the current constitution, the government recommends the appointees for head of the armed forces and GID director, and the king approves them through royal decree. The king had asked the prime minister on Aug. 12 to “activate” the Ministry of Defense, whose portfolio has been handled directly by the prime minister for decades. In effect, the portfolio will now be managed by a civilian or a retired army officer. The king said the new ministry will handle “political, economic, legal and logistical duties related to national defense … and nonmilitary services … while allowing the armed forces to dedicate its time to professional military duties.”
The government is rushing the two amendments through parliament, which has been convened in an extraordinary session. The timing and reasons for the amendments, described by Ensour as important reforms that will enhance Jordan’s democratic process, were not made clear. Pundits rushed to explain the surprise move. Clearly Abdullah is looking to expand his authority, making sure that the decision to appoint and fire the heads of two very sensitive institutions remains his alone.
Critics of the move did not waste time making their points. In general, they saw the move as a violation of the constitution and a derogation of the general mandate of the government. A number of retired army officers issued a statement denouncing the action, describing it as “an attack on the constitution and a challenge to the will of the people, who are the source of all authorities.”
Mohammad al-Hammouri, a respected constitutional expert and former justice minister, wrote on Aug. 19, “Giving the king exclusive powers to appoint the heads of the armed forces and GID constitutes an abrogation of the parliamentary system and a coup against the constitution, effectively turning Jordan from a constitutional monarchy to a presidential monarchy.”
He added that the Jordanian system of government is based on the principle of separation of powers, with the people being the source of authority. He added that the only exclusive power that the king has is to prevent amendment of the constitution, while the authority to run the state’s domestic and foreign affairs is tied directly to the Council of Ministers.
Osama Al Sharif
Source: Al- Monitor
On Aug. 14, the Jordanian government announced that it would ask parliament to approve two constitutional amendments giving the king sole authority to appoint the head of the armed forces and director of the kingdom’s General Intelligence Department (GID). Almost three years ago, in October 2011, in response to public protests calling for political reforms, King Abdullah II had approved a number of constitutional amendments that curtailed some of his powers and allowed for the creation of a Constitutional Court and an Independent Elections Commission.
These reforms were hailed as a major step toward full constitutional monarchy. Jordan’s version of the Arab Spring was largely peaceful and bloodless, and Abdullah was able to project himself as a champion of political reforms that would lead, according to statements made in June 2011, to the formation of parliamentary governments. That promise remains to be fulfilled.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Islamic Action Front (IAF) boycotted the 2013 legislative elections, and other political parties performed poorly, failing to fill the vacuum. Weak and unpopular, the parties' presence in the current Lower House, comprised mostly of independents, is modest. The government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, appointed by Abdullah in October 2012, was supposed to include elected deputies as a precursor to the formation of parliamentary governments. To date, however, Ensour has failed to fulfill that pledge, probably due to royal objections.
It is clear that Abdullah instructed Ensour to handle the two constitutional amendments. Under the current constitution, the government recommends the appointees for head of the armed forces and GID director, and the king approves them through royal decree. The king had asked the prime minister on Aug. 12 to “activate” the Ministry of Defense, whose portfolio has been handled directly by the prime minister for decades. In effect, the portfolio will now be managed by a civilian or a retired army officer. The king said the new ministry will handle “political, economic, legal and logistical duties related to national defense … and nonmilitary services … while allowing the armed forces to dedicate its time to professional military duties.”
The government is rushing the two amendments through parliament, which has been convened in an extraordinary session. The timing and reasons for the amendments, described by Ensour as important reforms that will enhance Jordan’s democratic process, were not made clear. Pundits rushed to explain the surprise move. Clearly Abdullah is looking to expand his authority, making sure that the decision to appoint and fire the heads of two very sensitive institutions remains his alone.
Critics of the move did not waste time making their points. In general, they saw the move as a violation of the constitution and a derogation of the general mandate of the government. A number of retired army officers issued a statement denouncing the action, describing it as “an attack on the constitution and a challenge to the will of the people, who are the source of all authorities.”
Mohammad al-Hammouri, a respected constitutional expert and former justice minister, wrote on Aug. 19, “Giving the king exclusive powers to appoint the heads of the armed forces and GID constitutes an abrogation of the parliamentary system and a coup against the constitution, effectively turning Jordan from a constitutional monarchy to a presidential monarchy.”
He added that the Jordanian system of government is based on the principle of separation of powers, with the people being the source of authority. He added that the only exclusive power that the king has is to prevent amendment of the constitution, while the authority to run the state’s domestic and foreign affairs is tied directly to the Council of Ministers.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Jordanians angered by Israel's war on Gaza
July 15, 2014
Source: Al Monitor
AMMAN, Jordan — Jordanians have raised their voice against the Israeli offensive on Gaza that has so far killed over 200 Palestinians and one Israeli, with protesters taking to the streets, members of parliament (MPs) planning to head to the Gaza Strip and King Abdullah II warning of "the dangerous escalation" of violence in the area.
Israel’s week-old Gaza Strip barrage followed an escalation of hostilities that began with the arrest of hundreds of Hamas supporters by Israeli forces in the Israeli-occupied West Bank following the kidnapping of three Jewish teenagers who were later found dead.
A Palestinian youth was then abducted and burned alive in Jerusalem, in an alleged act of retaliation by far-right Israelis.
Jordanians have since then taken to the streets, calling on the government to expel the Israeli ambassador to the kingdom, shut down the embassy, cut all relations to what protesters have defined “the Zionist entity” and revoke the peace treaty with Israel. But actions against Israel seem unlikely.
“Jordan will neither expel the Israeli ambassador nor shut down the embassy,” Jawad Anani, former deputy prime minister and foreign minister, told Al-Monitor. “This demand always arrives whenever there is an Israeli action that angers Jordanians. We cannot do that, as we need to maintain lines of communication with the Israelis despite Jordan’s current very cold relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.”
At a rally led by the Muslim Brotherhood on July 9, protesters attempted to storm the Israeli Embassy, but were prevented from reaching the diplomatic mission by Jordanian forces. Six people were arrested and then released shortly after.
Asked about the reasons behind the protest, Sheikh Hamza Mansour, leader of Jordan's Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in the kingdom, told Al-Monitor that Jordanians and Palestinians were one and the same people, therefore, "If you are killing us in Gaza, you are killing us everywhere."
"If this continues, Jordan’s streets, from Aqaba to Ramtha, would stand up to their defense spontaneously without planning or mobilization from anyone," he said.
Following an emergency meeting called by the Palestine Committee in the lower house of parliament last week, 20 Jordanian MPs announced they would head for Gaza in a display of solidarity and support with Palestinians suffering under “Israeli aggression.”
"This is a message to America, Europe, the [UN] Security Council and the international community that Israel’s domination and arrogance is unacceptable and cannot be left without questioning and punishment,“ MP Yihya Saud, head of the Palestine Committee in the Lower House and organizer of the initiative, told Al-Monitor.
Saud stressed the MPs will act independently of the Jordanian government and planned to reach Gaza from the Rafah border crossing between the southern Gaza Strip and Egypt.
But Egyptian authorities denied the Jordanian MPs access to the enclave amid security concerns on July 14, Saud said, adding that Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh was due to discuss the request with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, though signs for an agreement were “thin.”
Anani, who was first a negotiator in the discussions that led to the Israel-Jordan peace treaty in 1994, said there have been violations to the accord over the past two decades.
"There were infringements on issues regarding treatment of refugees according to the international law and the abolishment of the borders between Jordan and the West Bank as we did not recognize the Israeli legitimacy as occupier in these territories."
The former royal court chief said that tension between Israel and the Palestinians has always had a direct repercussion on Jordan and as long as a peace agreement was not reached, there would be instability in the kingdom and in the region overall.
“Attacking civilians in Gaza and accusing Hamas of the teenagers’ kidnapping, despite Hamas’ denial and lack of evidence, has led to anger. We are still living the Arab Spring and people in the streets are not accepting this violence. This affects the security of everybody in this part of the world and in Jordan especially,” Anani said, downplaying the chance of an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza.
“The Israelis are reluctant to enter Gaza by land with troops as this would lead to casualties among their lines, something that they cannot afford politically right now,” he said.
In a display of support for the Palestinians in Gaza, around 300 protesters filled the square in front of the Kalouti Mosque in west Amman after Friday prayers on July 11 and the Ramadan special evening prayers on July 15, a few blocks from the Israeli Embassy. Al-Monitor attended both rallies.
Riot police were deployed but no incidents were reported during the rallies.
Banners depicting the Nazi swastika next to a Star of David and reading "Jordanian government, shut down the Zionist embassy, kick the ambassador out," and "The road to Palestine is through gun barrels not a Zionist visa" could be spotted at the rally.
Degoul, a 46-year-old Jordanian residing in New York, but currently on a visit to the country, said he joined the protest to support the Palestinians amid the ongoing "massacre."
"What we are seeing is a premeditated murder conducted by the Israeli government on the people of Gaza without any balance between what happened and what Israel is doing. Gaza has no airplanes or tanks," he said.
Student Marwa Daher, 17, who has distant relatives in Palestine, told Al-Monitor the current state of affairs was partly the result of people not raising their voices loud enough for the Palestinian cause.
Similar protests took place in several cities across the country in Karak, Irbid, Tafileh, Mafraq and Jerash, protesters said at the rally.
On July 10, Jordan’s King Abdullah warned against the "dangerous" escalation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, during an official visit to Washington.
Following a meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden, the king said the recent developments hampered the resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli talks based on the two-state solution, and the ensuing "vacuum" would lead to more violence.
Anani said the Israelis were showing no signs of wanting peace.
“The Arab Spring has given the Israelis a green light to keep ignoring the mutual peace and occupying more land. They are encouraging settlers to build new settlements, they are attacking the Holy Shrine in Jerusalem. This is not acceptable. What the Palestinians do in retaliation of violence, the Israelis do continuously on a daily basis,” he said.
Link: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/jordan-gaza-israel-palestinians-hamas-muslim-brotherhood.html.
Source: Al Monitor
AMMAN, Jordan — Jordanians have raised their voice against the Israeli offensive on Gaza that has so far killed over 200 Palestinians and one Israeli, with protesters taking to the streets, members of parliament (MPs) planning to head to the Gaza Strip and King Abdullah II warning of "the dangerous escalation" of violence in the area.
Israel’s week-old Gaza Strip barrage followed an escalation of hostilities that began with the arrest of hundreds of Hamas supporters by Israeli forces in the Israeli-occupied West Bank following the kidnapping of three Jewish teenagers who were later found dead.
A Palestinian youth was then abducted and burned alive in Jerusalem, in an alleged act of retaliation by far-right Israelis.
Jordanians have since then taken to the streets, calling on the government to expel the Israeli ambassador to the kingdom, shut down the embassy, cut all relations to what protesters have defined “the Zionist entity” and revoke the peace treaty with Israel. But actions against Israel seem unlikely.
“Jordan will neither expel the Israeli ambassador nor shut down the embassy,” Jawad Anani, former deputy prime minister and foreign minister, told Al-Monitor. “This demand always arrives whenever there is an Israeli action that angers Jordanians. We cannot do that, as we need to maintain lines of communication with the Israelis despite Jordan’s current very cold relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.”
At a rally led by the Muslim Brotherhood on July 9, protesters attempted to storm the Israeli Embassy, but were prevented from reaching the diplomatic mission by Jordanian forces. Six people were arrested and then released shortly after.
Asked about the reasons behind the protest, Sheikh Hamza Mansour, leader of Jordan's Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in the kingdom, told Al-Monitor that Jordanians and Palestinians were one and the same people, therefore, "If you are killing us in Gaza, you are killing us everywhere."
"If this continues, Jordan’s streets, from Aqaba to Ramtha, would stand up to their defense spontaneously without planning or mobilization from anyone," he said.
Following an emergency meeting called by the Palestine Committee in the lower house of parliament last week, 20 Jordanian MPs announced they would head for Gaza in a display of solidarity and support with Palestinians suffering under “Israeli aggression.”
"This is a message to America, Europe, the [UN] Security Council and the international community that Israel’s domination and arrogance is unacceptable and cannot be left without questioning and punishment,“ MP Yihya Saud, head of the Palestine Committee in the Lower House and organizer of the initiative, told Al-Monitor.
Saud stressed the MPs will act independently of the Jordanian government and planned to reach Gaza from the Rafah border crossing between the southern Gaza Strip and Egypt.
But Egyptian authorities denied the Jordanian MPs access to the enclave amid security concerns on July 14, Saud said, adding that Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh was due to discuss the request with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, though signs for an agreement were “thin.”
Anani, who was first a negotiator in the discussions that led to the Israel-Jordan peace treaty in 1994, said there have been violations to the accord over the past two decades.
"There were infringements on issues regarding treatment of refugees according to the international law and the abolishment of the borders between Jordan and the West Bank as we did not recognize the Israeli legitimacy as occupier in these territories."
The former royal court chief said that tension between Israel and the Palestinians has always had a direct repercussion on Jordan and as long as a peace agreement was not reached, there would be instability in the kingdom and in the region overall.
“Attacking civilians in Gaza and accusing Hamas of the teenagers’ kidnapping, despite Hamas’ denial and lack of evidence, has led to anger. We are still living the Arab Spring and people in the streets are not accepting this violence. This affects the security of everybody in this part of the world and in Jordan especially,” Anani said, downplaying the chance of an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza.
“The Israelis are reluctant to enter Gaza by land with troops as this would lead to casualties among their lines, something that they cannot afford politically right now,” he said.
In a display of support for the Palestinians in Gaza, around 300 protesters filled the square in front of the Kalouti Mosque in west Amman after Friday prayers on July 11 and the Ramadan special evening prayers on July 15, a few blocks from the Israeli Embassy. Al-Monitor attended both rallies.
Riot police were deployed but no incidents were reported during the rallies.
Banners depicting the Nazi swastika next to a Star of David and reading "Jordanian government, shut down the Zionist embassy, kick the ambassador out," and "The road to Palestine is through gun barrels not a Zionist visa" could be spotted at the rally.
Degoul, a 46-year-old Jordanian residing in New York, but currently on a visit to the country, said he joined the protest to support the Palestinians amid the ongoing "massacre."
"What we are seeing is a premeditated murder conducted by the Israeli government on the people of Gaza without any balance between what happened and what Israel is doing. Gaza has no airplanes or tanks," he said.
Student Marwa Daher, 17, who has distant relatives in Palestine, told Al-Monitor the current state of affairs was partly the result of people not raising their voices loud enough for the Palestinian cause.
Similar protests took place in several cities across the country in Karak, Irbid, Tafileh, Mafraq and Jerash, protesters said at the rally.
On July 10, Jordan’s King Abdullah warned against the "dangerous" escalation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, during an official visit to Washington.
Following a meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden, the king said the recent developments hampered the resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli talks based on the two-state solution, and the ensuing "vacuum" would lead to more violence.
Anani said the Israelis were showing no signs of wanting peace.
“The Arab Spring has given the Israelis a green light to keep ignoring the mutual peace and occupying more land. They are encouraging settlers to build new settlements, they are attacking the Holy Shrine in Jerusalem. This is not acceptable. What the Palestinians do in retaliation of violence, the Israelis do continuously on a daily basis,” he said.
Link: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/jordan-gaza-israel-palestinians-hamas-muslim-brotherhood.html.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Haniyeh rejects resettlement of Palestinians in Jordan
28 April 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor
Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh said on Sunday that his government rejects the resettlement of Palestinian refugees within Jordan, or any other country.
Haniyeh's remarks came as he was paying a visit to the Jordanian Military Hospital set up in the wake of Israel's massive assault on Gaza in 2008/2009, what Israel calls "Cast Lead Operation".
The PM hailed the position of Jordanian King Abdullah II, as he also strongly rejects the idea of resettling Palestinians in Jordan. "Both nations, Jordan and Palestine, share the same history and present," Haniyeh said. "Jordanians have sacrificed their blood for the Palestinians."
"Palestinians have no alternative land for Palestine," he said, "we will not accept resettlement or compensation or any other project aimed to liquidate the Palestinian cause. This is our plan: to face the American-Israeli conspiracy against Palestinians and our sister Jordan."
Haniyeh reiterated that this is the official position of his movement Hamas.
He praised Jordan's hosting of Palestinian refugees since 1948 and its efforts to defend Jerusalem, holding continuous guardianship over the holy city and confronting Israel's Judiasation projects. He also noted that King Abdullah II was the first one to donate blood to the Palestinians in Gaza.
While touring the hospital, Haniyeh hailed its staff and their efforts to help the Palestinians by offering distinctive services.
The Jordanian leader of the hospital staff, Colonel Muttaleb Omar Bin Tarif, explained the nature of the services and the mechanisms for offering them to the Palestinian citizens in the Gaza Strip. He expressed pride for being part of a service mission to Jordan's "Palestinian brothers".
Link: .middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/11135-haniyeh-rejects-resettlement-of-palestinians-in-jordan.
Source: Middle East Monitor
Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh said on Sunday that his government rejects the resettlement of Palestinian refugees within Jordan, or any other country.
Haniyeh's remarks came as he was paying a visit to the Jordanian Military Hospital set up in the wake of Israel's massive assault on Gaza in 2008/2009, what Israel calls "Cast Lead Operation".
The PM hailed the position of Jordanian King Abdullah II, as he also strongly rejects the idea of resettling Palestinians in Jordan. "Both nations, Jordan and Palestine, share the same history and present," Haniyeh said. "Jordanians have sacrificed their blood for the Palestinians."
"Palestinians have no alternative land for Palestine," he said, "we will not accept resettlement or compensation or any other project aimed to liquidate the Palestinian cause. This is our plan: to face the American-Israeli conspiracy against Palestinians and our sister Jordan."
Haniyeh reiterated that this is the official position of his movement Hamas.
He praised Jordan's hosting of Palestinian refugees since 1948 and its efforts to defend Jerusalem, holding continuous guardianship over the holy city and confronting Israel's Judiasation projects. He also noted that King Abdullah II was the first one to donate blood to the Palestinians in Gaza.
While touring the hospital, Haniyeh hailed its staff and their efforts to help the Palestinians by offering distinctive services.
The Jordanian leader of the hospital staff, Colonel Muttaleb Omar Bin Tarif, explained the nature of the services and the mechanisms for offering them to the Palestinian citizens in the Gaza Strip. He expressed pride for being part of a service mission to Jordan's "Palestinian brothers".
Link: .middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/11135-haniyeh-rejects-resettlement-of-palestinians-in-jordan.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Jordanian throws shoes at PM over price hikes
15 April 2014
By Staff writer
Al Arabiya News
Authorities arrested a Jordanian on Monday after he threw a pair of shoes at Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur, along with five cabinet ministers, during a ceremony in the northern city of Jerash, an official said.
“The prime minister was talking about the economy, when Mefleh Mahasneh, 65, head of the Jerash countryside society that was attending the event, stood up and told the prime minister: ‘You raised the prices’,” the municipality official told Agence France-Presse.
“The mayor told Mahasneh to stop because it was not his turn to talk. Mahasneh, an army retiree, got angry and took off his shoe and threw it towards the stage on which the prime minister and the ministers were sitting.”
Mahasneh then took off his other shoe and threw it in the same direction. “The pair of shoes landed on a table on the stage. Police then arrested Mahasneh.
“I think he was detained for his own protection because some attendees threatened to take action against him,” added the official.
A wave of nationwide protests and strikes were sparked after Nsur’s government raised fuel prices, including house gas, by up to 52 percent in November 2012. The price surge was imposed to help cut a government deficit of 3.5 billion dinars (around $5bn), AFP reported.
Jordanians also took to the streets to protest growing unemployment and poverty rates, and demanded political and economic reforms in the kingdom as well as anti-corruption efforts.
Security personnel present at the event gathered footage of the incident so as to prevent its dissemination in the media, local news outlets reported.
(With AFP)
Link: .alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/04/15/Jordanian-throws-shoes-at-prime-minister-over-price-rise.html.
By Staff writer
Al Arabiya News
Authorities arrested a Jordanian on Monday after he threw a pair of shoes at Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur, along with five cabinet ministers, during a ceremony in the northern city of Jerash, an official said.
“The prime minister was talking about the economy, when Mefleh Mahasneh, 65, head of the Jerash countryside society that was attending the event, stood up and told the prime minister: ‘You raised the prices’,” the municipality official told Agence France-Presse.
“The mayor told Mahasneh to stop because it was not his turn to talk. Mahasneh, an army retiree, got angry and took off his shoe and threw it towards the stage on which the prime minister and the ministers were sitting.”
Mahasneh then took off his other shoe and threw it in the same direction. “The pair of shoes landed on a table on the stage. Police then arrested Mahasneh.
“I think he was detained for his own protection because some attendees threatened to take action against him,” added the official.
A wave of nationwide protests and strikes were sparked after Nsur’s government raised fuel prices, including house gas, by up to 52 percent in November 2012. The price surge was imposed to help cut a government deficit of 3.5 billion dinars (around $5bn), AFP reported.
Jordanians also took to the streets to protest growing unemployment and poverty rates, and demanded political and economic reforms in the kingdom as well as anti-corruption efforts.
Security personnel present at the event gathered footage of the incident so as to prevent its dissemination in the media, local news outlets reported.
(With AFP)
Link: .alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/04/15/Jordanian-throws-shoes-at-prime-minister-over-price-rise.html.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood maintains grassroots support
Source: Al Monitor
In the first true test of its influence and popularity following last year’s dramatic events in Egypt, Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood celebrated with its March 27 electoral victory the kingdom’s largest professional union in what observers described as a free and fair election. Islamist candidates and their allies won more than 70% of the seats in the 100,000-strong teachers union across the nation. Their opponents — nationalists and leftists — were unable to snatch this important association from the Islamists for the second time in three years.
In the first true test of its influence and popularity following last year’s dramatic events in Egypt, Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood celebrated with its March 27 electoral victory the kingdom’s largest professional union in what observers described as a free and fair election. Islamist candidates and their allies won more than 70% of the seats in the 100,000-strong teachers union across the nation. Their opponents — nationalists and leftists — were unable to snatch this important association from the Islamists for the second time in three years.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Jordanian parliament gives the government a week to expel the Israeli ambassador
13 March 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor
The majority of the Jordanian House of Representatives voted yesterday to seek the release of soldier Ahmad Adakkamsh, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment, the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador from Amman and recalling his Jordanian counterpart from Tel Aviv.
The majority of attendees agreed on the demands that were raised during the discussion of the members of the House of Representatives who were discussing the issue of the death of Judge Raed Zeiter, but other members of parliament protested against these demands.
The parliament approved, with a majority, the request of the Jordanian Attorney General to file a case against the commander of the Israeli army, which was done on Tuesday.
The parliament has decided twice to expel the Israeli ambassador from Amman and recall his Jordanian counterpart from Tel Aviv, as well as two requests that were previously made for the release of Adakkamsh.
The House of Representatives rejected the proposal of MP Musa Abu Sweilem to reopen the offices of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas in Jordan.
The MPs have given the government until next Tuesday to implement the parliamentary recommendations, threatening to topple it if it does not comply with the MPs' decisions.
The parliament demanded the release of Jordanian and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, informing the MPs about developments concerning the issue of martyr Zeiter, holding a thorough investigation and bringing killers before the International Criminal Court, imposing a Jordanian-Palestinian control over the Palestinian side of the border crossings, and taking the initiative to achieve reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas.
Israel expressed regret for the killing of the Jordanian judge, who is of Palestinian origin, by its soldiers on Monday. Zeiter was killed on Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan.
Following this incident, Jordan witnessed many demonstrations and events condemning the execution of Zeiter, where participants and protesters demanded cutting ties with Israel.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10291-jordanian-parliament-gives-the-government-a-week-to-expel-the-israeli-ambassador.
Source: Middle East Monitor
The majority of the Jordanian House of Representatives voted yesterday to seek the release of soldier Ahmad Adakkamsh, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment, the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador from Amman and recalling his Jordanian counterpart from Tel Aviv.
The majority of attendees agreed on the demands that were raised during the discussion of the members of the House of Representatives who were discussing the issue of the death of Judge Raed Zeiter, but other members of parliament protested against these demands.
The parliament approved, with a majority, the request of the Jordanian Attorney General to file a case against the commander of the Israeli army, which was done on Tuesday.
The parliament has decided twice to expel the Israeli ambassador from Amman and recall his Jordanian counterpart from Tel Aviv, as well as two requests that were previously made for the release of Adakkamsh.
The House of Representatives rejected the proposal of MP Musa Abu Sweilem to reopen the offices of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas in Jordan.
The MPs have given the government until next Tuesday to implement the parliamentary recommendations, threatening to topple it if it does not comply with the MPs' decisions.
The parliament demanded the release of Jordanian and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, informing the MPs about developments concerning the issue of martyr Zeiter, holding a thorough investigation and bringing killers before the International Criminal Court, imposing a Jordanian-Palestinian control over the Palestinian side of the border crossings, and taking the initiative to achieve reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas.
Israel expressed regret for the killing of the Jordanian judge, who is of Palestinian origin, by its soldiers on Monday. Zeiter was killed on Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan.
Following this incident, Jordan witnessed many demonstrations and events condemning the execution of Zeiter, where participants and protesters demanded cutting ties with Israel.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10291-jordanian-parliament-gives-the-government-a-week-to-expel-the-israeli-ambassador.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Snow in southern region briefly disrupts traffic movement
Mar 15, 2014
by Hana Namrouqa
Source: The Jordan Times
AMMAN
— The Kingdom’s 10 major dams now hold over half of their storage
capacity, following a depression that brought heavy rain across the
country and snow to the southern region, officials said on Saturday.
The
depression, which was accompanied by a cold air mass, raised water
levels at the major dams, dispelling fears of a drought due to the
absence of rain since December last year.
“The
dams now hold 170 million cubic metres (mcm) of water, constituting
52.3 per cent of their total capacity of 325mcm. Some 28mcm went into
the dams over a four-day period,” Jordan Valley Authority Secretary
General Saad Abu Hammour told The Jordan Times.
The
10 dams held 181mcm or 55.6 per cent of their total capacity at this
time last year, whereas they stored around 34.5 per cent in March 2012.
“The
water situation is much better after the recent rain across the country
and snowfall in the south. Hopefully, more rain will come, especially
since the country usually receives rain until May,” Abu Hammour noted.
The
depression, which started affecting the country last Tuesday night,
also brought temperatures down nine degrees below their annual average
of 17°C during this time of the year, while the southern region
witnessed snow on Friday that briefly disrupted traffic movement,
according to authorities.
The
Civil Defence Department (CDD) said its personnel evacuated 202 people
and tourists who were snowbound on Friday in the south and pumped out
rainwater from 74 houses that were inundated following flash floods,
mostly in the southern and central regions.
“There were no injuries or fatalities due to weather-related incidents since the depression started,” a CDD statement said.
Jordanians protest judge’s killing near Israeli embassy
Mar 15, 2014
by Muath Freij
Source: The JordanTimes
AMMAN –– Around 1,000 Jordanians gathered outside the Kalouti Mosque near the Israeli embassy in Amman on Friday to protest the killing of Jordanian Judge Raed Zuaiter.
After
the Friday prayer, representatives of several groups, including the
Muslim Brotherhood and the Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party,
waved Jordanian and Palestinian flags and chanted slogans denouncing
Zuaiter’s murder.
Some protesters tried to reach the Israeli embassy but were prevented from doing so by Gendarmerie forces.
Rida
Suwatia, a member of the Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party, said
if the government cannot avenge the judge’s death, it can at least
close down Israel’s diplomatic mission and release Jordanian soldier
Ahmad Daqamseh, who is serving a life sentence for shooting seven
Israeli schoolgirls in 1997.
Jordan
summoned the Israeli charge d’affaires in Amman last week to protest
the shooting of Zuaiter by Israeli soldiers and ask for an immediate
investigation into the incident.
Zuaiter,
a judge at the Amman Court of First Instance, was killed at the King
Hussein (Allenby) Bridge over Jordan River last Monday. In reaction to
the incident, the government asked to take part in the investigation
that is yet to be announced. Israel agreed to the request.
Hamza
Jibrin, another demonstrator who participated in Friday’s protest,
criticised Arabs because they are not united despite thousands of people
being killed every day.
“Arabs
are only fighting each other. Instead of protecting those who are being
attacked, they protect the ones who occupied our land,” the university
student said.
He
added that demonstrations are the least that Arabs citizens can do to
express their support for fellow Arabs living under occupation and
oppression.
“What
we really want is to send a message to the whole world in a peaceful
manner. We do not want to spread chaos,” Jibrain added.
He
noted that if the authorities expel the Israeli ambassador from the
country and recall Jordan’s ambassador from Tel Aviv, Jordanians will be
proud of their government.
Amir Nawaisah, another protester, said Jordanian blood should not be cheap.
“Our
main issue is the Palestinian cause and how to free Palestinian land.
We also want to send a message that we do not want any kind of ties with
the Zionist enemy,” he told The Jordan Times.
Describing Daqamseh as a “hero”, Nawaisah said he was treated as a war criminal in the Kingdom.
Israeli soldiers kill Jordanian judge on crossing bridge
Mar 10, 2014
by Muath Freij and Omar Obeidat and Khetam Malkawi and Khaled Neimat
Source: The Jordan Times
AMMAN — Jordan on Monday summoned Israeli charge d’affaires in Amman, protesting the shooting of a Jordanian judge by Israeli soldiers and asked for immediate investigation on the incident.
A Higher Judicial Council source told The Jordan Times that Raed Zuaiter, a judge at the Amman Court of First Instance, was killed at the Jordan River crossing point on Monday morning.
The source, who asked to remain unnamed, said that Zuaiter, 38, was not on leave and was expected at the office as usual Monday.
However, he noted that the Jordanian embassy in Israel is following up on the issue with Israeli authorities.
This was also
confirmed by his father, Ala-Eddine Zuaiter, a former judge, who noted
that he had no idea that his son was crossing border.
Despite
several attempts by The Jordan Times to contact the Jordanian embassy in
Tel Aviv, officials were not available to comment.
“I have no further information,” the father told The Jordan Times.
Reuters
reported that the Israeli military said the man had tried to seize a
soldier’s gun at the King Hussein Bridge — known to Israelis as Allenby
Bridge — which spans the Jordan River, and that troops had then shot
him.
Reactions
Minister of
Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh denounced the incident and informed the
Israeli charge d’affaires in Amman that the government of Jordan expects
a report about the incident and asked for an immediate investigation,
the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
The
Palestinian Authority in the West Bank city of Ramallah condemned what
it called the “shooting at close range” by Israeli troops. It demanded
an investigation, as did Jordan.
Meanwhile,
dozens of Jordanians gathered “spontaneously” near the Israeli embassy
to protest the shooting and demand tough measures by the government.
Apparently, the gathering came as a response to social media calls, with some encouraging “attacking” the embassy building.
Some of the
protesters tried to approach the embassy premises but they were barred
by the Gendarmerie Forces, who arrested at least four people, including a
woman, according to activists.
The
protesters, who represented average people, along with political
parties, chanted slogans demanding the cancellation of the peace treaty
and closing down Israel’s diplomatic mission.
Professional
associations also condemned this action, including the Jordan Engineers
Association and the Jordan Bar Association.
Parliament ‘angry’
MPs on Monday expressed anger over the killing of Zuaiter, blaming Israel for the “heinous crime”.
The Palestine
Committee in the Lower House issued on Monday a statement in which it
condemned the incident, demanding the abolishment of the peace treaty
with Israel and encouraged the government to expel the Israeli
ambassador in Amman and call back the Jordanian envoy in Tel Aviv.
The committee
recalled its previous decision when Israeli Knesset was trying to
discuss a petition to deny Jordan’s right as custodian of the Islamic
holy shrines in Jerusalem.
The House
Rights and Freedoms Committee chairperson, Rula Hroub, condemned, in a
statement carried by Petra, the violent, illegal act targeting a
Jordanian civilian. She also expressed her condolences to the Zuaiter
family.
Also on
Monday, the Reform Bloc at the Lower House led by MP Mejhem Sqour issued
a strongly-worded statement, demanding that the prosecutor general move
quickly to file a case against the Israeli army.
In remarks to
The Jordan Times, Veteran MP Khalil Atiyeh described the incident as
“very serious” and vowed that lawmakers will exert “maximum pressure on
the government to expel the Israeli ambassador from Amman”.
Relatives and friends
Relatives and friends of Zuaiter said he was a calm person and never harmed anyone.
Judge Muwafaq Obeidat said he worked with Zuaiter for three years and was respected by his colleagues.
“We also went
together to university; he is a man with high morals, and did not harm
anyone,” Obeidat said, noting that Zuaiter is an only son.
This was also
echoed by Lawyer Samer Mallah, who noted that Zuaiter was one of the
most respected judges and his killing was “a shock” for many.
According to
his relatives, Zuaiter is a PhD holder in law and has two children; one
of them was in hospital the day his father was killed.
One of his cousins told The Jordan Times later in the day that Zuaiter’s parents asked for his burial in Palestine.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Israel is exerting efforts to end crisis with Jordan after killing Palestinian judge
11 March 2014
Middle East Monitor
Israel is intensifying its diplomatic efforts to sort out the crisis with Jordan after occupation forces killed on Monday morning a Palestinian judge who holds Jordanian citizenship, Israel Radio reported on Tuesday.
The report did not mention the source of its information or describe what kinds of diplomatic efforts are being exerted to end the crisis.
Israeli occupation forces shot to death judge Raed Za'eiter, aged 38, while he was entering Allenby Bridge between Jordan and the occupied West Bank. Israeli army commander Yaron Beit On told reporters that Za'eiter had attempted to snatch the rifle of an Israeli soldier.
The Jordanian government demanded immediate investigations into the judge's death. The Israeli foreign ministry replied that an investigation into the incident has already started and Amman would be informed about the findings as soon as the probe was completed.
Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Joudeh summoned on Monday Israel's acting ambassador in Amman to express his country's deep concern about the killing.
Another Jordanian official noted that the incident has put Jordanian-Israeli relations at stake. The official, who preferred anonymity, said that: "Diplomatic channels witnessed hot contacts on Monday, including serious protests from Jordan and a demand to punish the perpetrators."
The official added that what is increasing Jordan's anger is the timing of the crime, which coincides with declining Jordanian-Israeli relations due to Israel's escalating violations against the holy sites in Jerusalem and the Knesset's proposed draft resolution to revoke Jordan's custodianship over them.
Jordanian security forces forcefully dispersed a demonstration against the judge's killing in front of the Israeli embassy in Amman. Protesters called for an end to Jordanian-Israeli relations and demanded the dismissal of the Israeli ambassador in Amman and recalling his counterpart in Tel-Aviv.
Jordan and Israel have maintained official relations since 1994, when the peace accord known as Wadi Araba was signed.
Link: /www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10238-israel-is-exerting-efforts-to-end-crisis-with-jordan-after-killing-palestinian-judge.
Middle East Monitor
Israel is intensifying its diplomatic efforts to sort out the crisis with Jordan after occupation forces killed on Monday morning a Palestinian judge who holds Jordanian citizenship, Israel Radio reported on Tuesday.
The report did not mention the source of its information or describe what kinds of diplomatic efforts are being exerted to end the crisis.
Israeli occupation forces shot to death judge Raed Za'eiter, aged 38, while he was entering Allenby Bridge between Jordan and the occupied West Bank. Israeli army commander Yaron Beit On told reporters that Za'eiter had attempted to snatch the rifle of an Israeli soldier.
The Jordanian government demanded immediate investigations into the judge's death. The Israeli foreign ministry replied that an investigation into the incident has already started and Amman would be informed about the findings as soon as the probe was completed.
Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Joudeh summoned on Monday Israel's acting ambassador in Amman to express his country's deep concern about the killing.
Another Jordanian official noted that the incident has put Jordanian-Israeli relations at stake. The official, who preferred anonymity, said that: "Diplomatic channels witnessed hot contacts on Monday, including serious protests from Jordan and a demand to punish the perpetrators."
The official added that what is increasing Jordan's anger is the timing of the crime, which coincides with declining Jordanian-Israeli relations due to Israel's escalating violations against the holy sites in Jerusalem and the Knesset's proposed draft resolution to revoke Jordan's custodianship over them.
Jordanian security forces forcefully dispersed a demonstration against the judge's killing in front of the Israeli embassy in Amman. Protesters called for an end to Jordanian-Israeli relations and demanded the dismissal of the Israeli ambassador in Amman and recalling his counterpart in Tel-Aviv.
Jordan and Israel have maintained official relations since 1994, when the peace accord known as Wadi Araba was signed.
Link: /www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10238-israel-is-exerting-efforts-to-end-crisis-with-jordan-after-killing-palestinian-judge.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Netanyahu confidante: Jordan wants Israel to keep presence along West Bank boundary
01/18/2014
A Likud parliamentarian considered a close ally and confidante of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel’s insistence on maintaining a military presence in the Jordan Valley as part of any final status agreement with the Palestinians is supported by Jordan.
MK Ofir Akunis told a town hall gathering in Tel Aviv on Saturday that Israeli officials have received feedback from their Jordanian counterparts who are alarmed at the prospect of an Israeli withdrawal from the boundary that separates the West Bank from the Hashemite kingdom.
“The Jordanians are opposed to an Israeli withdrawal from the Jordan Valley out of fear that if a Palestinian state arises and is taken over by extremist elements like Hamas and Al-Qaida, this would endanger the king’s rule, not just Tel Aviv,” Akunis said.
Netanyahu met last week with Jordan’s King Abdullah in Amman for what was described as a “surprise” visit.
The meeting focused on the current Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
In a statement released upon Netanyahu's return to Israel, he stressed the important role played by Jordan, under King Abdullah's leadership, in the efforts to bring about an agreement. He also emphasized that Israel places a premium on security arrangements, including Jordan's interests, in any future agreement that will take into consideration the peace treaty between Jordan and Israel, signed 20 years ago.
Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said earlier this month that the Israeli annexation of the Jordan Valley would be contrary to the peace agreement signed between the two countries in 1994.
Speaking to a gathering of parliament members, he said that Jordan “categorically rejects any Israeli intention in this regard and will not stand idly by, but will act diplomatically,” according to a report on Thursday in the London-based daily Al-Hayat.
Akunis went on to attack the Palestinians, whom he deemed “an obstacle to peace.”
“Their insistence not to recognize the State of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people proves that the conflict isn’t just territorial, but it is one that is being waged for our existence,” he said. “I believe that we should have negotiations with the Palestinians, but we need to understand that a Palestinian state could endanger most Israeli cities.”
“My vision, and that of Likud, says that we have no interest in controlling the Palestinians,” Akunis said. “I am in favor of maximum Palestinian self-rule and deep economic cooperation between our peoples, but I am not ready to have a Palestinian state be born on the ruins of my country.”
Link: http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Netanyahu-confidante-Jordan-wants-Israel-to-keep-presence-along-West-Bank-boundary-338574.
A Likud parliamentarian considered a close ally and confidante of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel’s insistence on maintaining a military presence in the Jordan Valley as part of any final status agreement with the Palestinians is supported by Jordan.
MK Ofir Akunis told a town hall gathering in Tel Aviv on Saturday that Israeli officials have received feedback from their Jordanian counterparts who are alarmed at the prospect of an Israeli withdrawal from the boundary that separates the West Bank from the Hashemite kingdom.
“The Jordanians are opposed to an Israeli withdrawal from the Jordan Valley out of fear that if a Palestinian state arises and is taken over by extremist elements like Hamas and Al-Qaida, this would endanger the king’s rule, not just Tel Aviv,” Akunis said.
Netanyahu met last week with Jordan’s King Abdullah in Amman for what was described as a “surprise” visit.
The meeting focused on the current Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
In a statement released upon Netanyahu's return to Israel, he stressed the important role played by Jordan, under King Abdullah's leadership, in the efforts to bring about an agreement. He also emphasized that Israel places a premium on security arrangements, including Jordan's interests, in any future agreement that will take into consideration the peace treaty between Jordan and Israel, signed 20 years ago.
Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said earlier this month that the Israeli annexation of the Jordan Valley would be contrary to the peace agreement signed between the two countries in 1994.
Speaking to a gathering of parliament members, he said that Jordan “categorically rejects any Israeli intention in this regard and will not stand idly by, but will act diplomatically,” according to a report on Thursday in the London-based daily Al-Hayat.
Akunis went on to attack the Palestinians, whom he deemed “an obstacle to peace.”
“Their insistence not to recognize the State of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people proves that the conflict isn’t just territorial, but it is one that is being waged for our existence,” he said. “I believe that we should have negotiations with the Palestinians, but we need to understand that a Palestinian state could endanger most Israeli cities.”
“My vision, and that of Likud, says that we have no interest in controlling the Palestinians,” Akunis said. “I am in favor of maximum Palestinian self-rule and deep economic cooperation between our peoples, but I am not ready to have a Palestinian state be born on the ruins of my country.”
Link: http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Netanyahu-confidante-Jordan-wants-Israel-to-keep-presence-along-West-Bank-boundary-338574.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
U.S. could train elite Iraqi forces in Jordan
January 9, 2014
By Missy Ryan
Source: Yahoo News
It was not immediately clear who exactly would
provide the new training to Iraqi forces, but it might include U.S.
special forces soldiers or contractors.
U.S. officials have grown increasingly worried about Iraq in recent weeks as al Qaeda has staged a comeback in western Anbar province, where the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, an al Qaeda affiliate, is seeking to set up a Sunni religious state straddling Iraq and Syria.
Two years after the Obama administration pulled all U.S. troops from Iraq, the U.S. response to mounting sectarian tensions and surging violence in Iraq has been limited by reluctance to further empower Maliki, a Shi'ite increasingly at odds with minority Sunnis, and by a widespread desire to ensure U.S. soldiers aren't involved in another Middle Eastern war.
The United States is already sending Hellfire missiles, surveillance aircraft and other gear that Maliki has requested.
But at a time when many U.S. lawmakers see the Iraqi prime minister as an aspiring authoritarian with close ties to Iran, the Obama administration has not yet provided Iraq with the attack helicopters that Maliki has requested.
Some in the U.S. Senate say the United States should not move ahead with plans to sell and lease several dozen Apache helicopters to Iraq without adequate assurances about how the attack aircraft will be used.
Because U.S. soldiers cannot conduct military activities in Iraq without a Status of Forces Agreement, providing new support to Iraqi forces outside of Iraq is one way the Obama administration can try to help Iraq beat back what appears to be a growing militant threat.
The troop agreement the United States negotiated with Maliki's government in 2008 expired at the end of 2011 as U.S. forces withdrew.
By Missy Ryan
Source: Yahoo News
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama
administration is considering providing new training to elite Iraqi
forces in Jordan as U.S. officials seek ways to help the government of
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki repel an al Qaeda campaign near its
western border.
Earlier this
week, U.S. officials said the United States was in discussions with Iraq
about training its elite forces in a third country, which would allow
Washington to provide a modest measure of new support against militants
in the absence of a troop deal allowing U.S. soldiers to operate within
Iraq.
"There is discussion about this, and Jordan is included in the discussions," a U.S. defense official said.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that a privately
run special operations training center near Amman was one of the sites
being considered.
Jordan,
grappling with the mounting impact of the grinding conflict in
neighboring Syria, is one of the United States' closest allies in the
Middle East.
U.S. officials have grown increasingly worried about Iraq in recent weeks as al Qaeda has staged a comeback in western Anbar province, where the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, an al Qaeda affiliate, is seeking to set up a Sunni religious state straddling Iraq and Syria.
Two years after the Obama administration pulled all U.S. troops from Iraq, the U.S. response to mounting sectarian tensions and surging violence in Iraq has been limited by reluctance to further empower Maliki, a Shi'ite increasingly at odds with minority Sunnis, and by a widespread desire to ensure U.S. soldiers aren't involved in another Middle Eastern war.
The United States is already sending Hellfire missiles, surveillance aircraft and other gear that Maliki has requested.
But at a time when many U.S. lawmakers see the Iraqi prime minister as an aspiring authoritarian with close ties to Iran, the Obama administration has not yet provided Iraq with the attack helicopters that Maliki has requested.
Some in the U.S. Senate say the United States should not move ahead with plans to sell and lease several dozen Apache helicopters to Iraq without adequate assurances about how the attack aircraft will be used.
Because U.S. soldiers cannot conduct military activities in Iraq without a Status of Forces Agreement, providing new support to Iraqi forces outside of Iraq is one way the Obama administration can try to help Iraq beat back what appears to be a growing militant threat.
The troop agreement the United States negotiated with Maliki's government in 2008 expired at the end of 2011 as U.S. forces withdrew.
(Reporting By Missy Ryan; Editing by Ken Wills)
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Assad's forces capture strategic town in southern Syria
5 hrs ago
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi | Reuters
Source: Yahoo News
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi | Reuters
Source: Yahoo News
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi
AMMAN (Reuters) - The Syrian army captured a strategic southern town from rebel fighters on Wednesday after a ferocious two-month bombardment, in an advance likely to result in President Bashar al-Assad's forces regaining control of an international transit route, opposition sources said.
The fall of Khirbet Ghazaleh, situated in the Hauran Plain on the highway to Jordan, came after a Jordanian-backed Syrian opposition military council failed to supply weapons to the town's defenders.
This raised resentment among opposition fighters over what they saw as a lack of Jordanian support for their efforts to defeat Assad's forces in the region, according to rebel commanders and activists in the area.
The Hauran Plain, which extends to the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, is the birthplace of the revolt against four decades of family rule by Assad and his late father, which erupted in the city of Deraa in March 2011.
Rebel fighters, operating under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army, cut off the highway to Jordan two months ago. But keeping the road off-limits to Assad's forces depended on retaining Khirbet Ghazaleh, which is at a crossroads leading west to the contested city of Deraa, the sources said.
Before the uprising in Syria, billions of dollars in goods traded between Gulf countries, Turkey and Europe were transported along the highway, which passes Khirbet Ghazaleh before ending at the Nassib border crossing to Jordan.
About 1,000 rebel fighters withdrew from Khirbet Ghazaleh on Wednesday after losing hope that reinforcements would come from Jordan, which has been cautious about provoking a military response from Assad, activists and opposition fighters said.
"Assad's forces started advancing from the north and west and I can still go back to Khirbet Ghazaleh but I cannot do anything," Abu Yacoub, commander of the Martyrs of Khirbet Ghazaleh brigade, told Reuters by telephone from Hauran.
"I can get a thousand fighters back but it is useless because I don't have ammunition in my hands."
Abu Yacoub said he had contacted Ahmad Nemaah, head of the Jordanian backed military council, before ordering the rebel fighters to withdraw, but Nemaah told him he could not do anything.
"If we lost a battle it does not mean we lost for good. But everyone has turned against Nemaah," Abu Yacoub said.
Nemaah could not be reached for comment.
'BIG TRAGEDY'
"Tomorrow, the big tragedy will happen, the regime's supply route to Deraa will reopen and the officers will go back and ammunition will be resupplied and the bombardment will resume," said Abu Yacoub. "For 61 days we had choked them by controlling Khirbet Ghazaleh."
Abu Yacoub said he had lost 35 fighters in two months.
Al Mutasem Billah, an activist with the Sham News Network opposition monitoring group, said most of the rebel brigades in the south blame Jordan and the military council for the defeat.
"The council follows Jordanian Intelligence, which is more concerned about setting up a proxy unit than an effective force on the ground to take on Assad," he said.
Abu Bakr an activist in the nearby Ghweireh village said most civilians had fled Khirbet Ghazaleh but fear was growing that the remaining residents would face summary executions, similar to massacres in other towns overrun by Assad's forces.
"The people of the area are now fleeing because they fear the army will sweep across the region," he said. "The Free Syrian Army will continue to withdraw and won't face the army along the highway because they no longer have ammunition."
Hauran, which borders Jordan and the Golan Heights, has become a significant battleground as the capital of Damascus comes under pressure, with Assad's forces and loyalist militias hitting back.
The intensified fighting has also led to an influx this year of hundreds of thousands of refugees through Jordan's 370 km (230 mile) border with Syria.
The rebels say they have captured large quantities of weapons, ammunition and vehicles, which has helped them to maintain an offensive after a long period in which the southern border area was relatively quiet compared to the northern and eastern parts of Syria.
Jordan has stepped up security and deployed more troops to the border.
Diplomatic and regional intelligence sources also said Amman was allowing limited supplies of light arms to the military council, which is opposed to the Nusra front, an Islamist militant group suspected of links to al Qaeda and blacklisted by the United States as a "terrorist group."
Al-Nusra members, however, have been largely uninvolved in the Khirbet Ghazaleh fighting, activists and opposition military sources said.
(Additional reporting and writing by Khaled Yacoub Oweis. Editing by Christopher Wilson)
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