The Jordanian Parliament approved a draft legislation that could ban the import of Israeli gas yesterday. The motion, which was unanimously passed by 130 legislators, is due for a cabinet referral. However, legalities may prevent it from taking effect.
The $10 billion 15-year oil supply deal was struck in 2016 between Jordan’s state-owned facility and a US-Israel syndicate, headed by Texas’ Noble Energy. Previously, the government maintained that this was a deal between businesses and not a political alliance. Leaders said that the deal was signed to secure stable energy prices so that Jordan could achieve annual savings of $500 million in the next decade and reduce the risk of a chronic budget deficit. At the time, the matter was not referred to the Parliament for approval.
The deal has faced widespread popular opposition despite the peace treaty between Amman and Tel Aviv, with many Jordanian people and legislators arguing that the deal legitimizes an energy dependence of the kingdom on its neighbour.
On Friday, hundreds of local Jordanians held national flags and chanted slogans demanding the government to cancel the agreement. The dissent is two-pronged–many Jordanians, who are Palestinian descendants uprooted after the creation of the Israeli state in 1948, view the Jewish nation as an erstwhile enemy who expelled their ancestors. A placard carried by a protestor read, “The gas of the enemy is an occupation. Down with the gas deal.”
As reported by Al Jazeera, a protestor said the people were sending a message to the Prime Minister that “[enough] is enough with the humiliation and shame”, since the deal was struck without the consent or knowledge of the Parliament.
Public opinion in Jordan has always been against the normalization of bilateral ties with Israel, with many even demanding the abrogation of the peace treaty. Last year, Jordan and Egypt–the only two Arab nations to have signed a peace agreement with Israel–marked the 25th anniversary of these landmark agreements.
Jordan’s King Abdullah believes that Israel’s continued occupation of the West Bank and the rejection of Palestinians in the region can lead to renewed violence and lead to the displacement of a new generation of Palestinians to Jordan.
Image Source: Arab News