45 Jordan MPs call for ambassador’s return to Doha

By Laith al-Juneidi

AMMAN (AA) - Forty-five Jordanian lawmakers have signed a parliamentary memorandum calling for the return of the country’s ambassador to Qatar, one of the lawmakers, Aqla al-Ghamr, said Tuesday.

“The memorandum is aimed at healing the rift with our brothers [i.e., Qatar]; we should begin the process by sending our ambassador back to Doha,” al-Ghamr said.

“The number of signatories will grow in coming days, after which we will bring the memorandum to the government’s attention,” he added.

Last summer, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain collectively severed ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and standing too close to Shia Iran.

Jordan followed suit shortly afterward, downgrading its level of representation in Qatar and canceling the local operating license of Doha-based broadcaster Al Jazeera.

Qatar, for its part, has strenuously denied the allegations against it, saying the attempts to isolate it by its fellow Arab states violate international law.