Jordan’s position on the Israeli decision to annex the Jordan Valley
Books/ Ahmed Abdel Hadi
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed with war leader Yair Lapid at the end of April to start annexing large parts of the West Bank and here we are talking about the Jordan Valley and many other settlements in the West Bank. This prompted His Majesty King Abdullah II to declare that if Israel annexes any parts of the West Bank, a major clash will result between the two countries, and said that the Kingdom of Jordan is considering all options if such annexation takes place.
As we have known it, Israel always tries to take advantage of all opportunities, And here we are in the days of the Corona virus pandemic and the whole world is busy overcoming this pandemic, At this time, Israel is considering occupation and the expansion of its territory.
The importance of the Jordan Valley region:
The Jordan Valley constitutes approximately 30% of the area of the West Bank and extends from the north of the Dead Sea. and even the Sea of Galilee in the north.
This area is of distinctive strategic and economic importance, as it is suitable for many projects, including power generation, agriculture and others, In addition to extracting minerals and salts from them.
Its geographical location on the Dead Sea makes it a distinctive tourist place that attracts many tourists from different places.
More importantly, Israel’s annexation of the Jordan Valley will prevent geographical contiguity between the Palestinian state and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It will keep Israel in control of relations between the two countries.
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Steps taken by the Kingdom of Jordan:
As soon as His Majesty King Abdullah II heard the speech of Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy, he acted immediately, as this annexation poses a great threat to Jordanian diplomacy. The Foreign Minister has said that annexing territory from the West Bank is a decision for Israel. Of course, this statement was very provocative to the Kingdom of Jordan.
Here, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi moved in coordination with Palestine and communicated with his Spanish counterpart, Aranca Gonzalez, indicating the need for coalescence and cooperation in these difficult circumstances that the world is going through. He stressed the total rejection of the annexation of occupied Palestinian lands, as this was a total violation of international law.
Safadi agreed with his Spanish counterpart on the need to take the necessary steps in case Israel wants to annex the Jordan Valley in order to prevent it by all means. Such annexation would affect the peace process in the region.
Follow Jordan’s position on the Israeli decision to annex the Jordan Valley
Safadi said in his speech that taking any decision to annex the settlements, the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea would be a catastrophic thing and a step with ominous consequences. All chances of achieving peace in the region will be killed and the conflict will increase dramatically, he said, warning Israel against taking such a decision.
At this time, the Jordanian parliament has raised the voices of the need to use all means and reach out to many Arab and European leaders in order to prevent Israel from taking this step, which threatens the peace process. The parliament also demanded the use of some available pressure tools and the cancellation of the Wadi Araba Treaty and the cancellation of the Israeli gas agreement signed in September 2016 and implemented starting this year. The agreement provides for the supply of about 45 billion cubic meters of gas to Jordan within 15 years.
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Israeli response:
Some opinions say that Israel does not care at all about the steps and reactions taken by the Jordanian authorities. But one report broadcast on an Israeli television channel indicates that Tel Aviv is deeply concerned about Jordan’s move to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu not to annex the Jordan Valley and the West Bank.
An Israeli specialist in military affairs said that the security establishment in Israel is concerned about the tension in relations between Tel Aviv and Jordan, especially after the economic deterioration that occurred in light of the Corona pandemic. The Israeli spokesman added that the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan will use the opportunity to restore popularity inside Jordan by calling for severing relations between the two countries and getting closer to Hamas.
