Jordanian parliament demands Israeli ambassador expelled

Jordan’s lower house of parliament unanimously demand that the gov’t tell Israeli ambassador to leave Jordan & to recall Jordanian ambassador from Tel Aviv due to ‘repeated Jewish settler assaults on Al-Aqsa Mosque’

Roi Kais

Jordan’s MPs on Wednesday unanimously demanded the government expel Israeli Ambassador Daniel Nevo over “the occupation measures” at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, state media reported.

Al-Aqsa Mosque (Archive photo: AFP)

Al-Aqsa Mosque – Archive photo: AFP

The measure cannot be implemented without King Abdullah‘s approval.

The Jordanian MPs called the decision “historic” and claimed the government must implement it.

The non-binding vote came after Israel limited the entrance of Muslim worshipers to the Temple Mount on Tuesday and allowed Jews to visit the compound on the occasion of Jerusalem Day, which continued into Wednesday.

“The (150-member) lower house of parliament unanimously demanded the government ask the Israeli ambassador to leave Jordan, and recall the Jordanian ambassador in Israel,” Walid Obeidat, the official Petra news agency said.

The vote came in response to “the continued assaults by Jewish settlers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque” and “Israeli attacks in occupied Jerusalem.”

"החלטה היסטורית". הפרלמנט בירדן (ארכיון) (צילום: EPA)

‘Historic decision.’ Jordanian parliament – Archive photo: EPA

Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour was quoted by the news portal Ammon as saying the “attacks” on al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli security forces and settlers were “premeditated and foretell of evil intentions.” He said “the government views with great severity Israel’s actions yesterday and today as well against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the places that are holy to Islam and Christianity in Jerusalem.”

Last month 110 Jordanian MPs from the lower house signed a petition calling to pardon a Jordanian soldier who shot and killed seven Israeli schoolgirls in 1997.

Ahmad Musa Mustafa Daqamseh shot the girls during a school fieldtrip in Naharayim, near the Israel-Jordan border, and is currently serving a life sentence.

 

AFP contributed to the report.

View original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4377768,00.html