Jordanians rally against gas deal with Israel

By Laith Joneidi

AMMAN (AA) - Thousands of Jordanians staged a massive protest march Friday to drop a gas purchasing agreement signed in 2016.

The protest comes on the heels of public demands that began since the first day of the signing of the agreement and after just two days after Amman and Tel Aviv declared commencing experiential gas pumping.

Demonstrators from across Jordan’s political spectrum marched from the Al-Husseini Mosque in central Amman to nearby Al-Nakheel Square amid heavy security presence.
Protestors carried banners bearing slogans that condemned the agreement and attacked the Jordanian government.

"Buying gas from the enemy is a violation of the rights of the Palestinian people," and "The gas agreement is occupation," were blazed on banners.

Many Islamic leaders along with parliamentarians were among protesters notably Abdullah al-Akaila head of the Parliament Reform Bloc who told Anadolu Agency about parliamentary memorandum previously signed to withhold confidence from the government of Prime Minister Omar Razzaz if his government did not drop the agreement.

“The government has betrayed the Jordanian people, who unanimously reject this agreement [and] the government stands in the face of the Jordanian people and the agreement must be dropped even if the gas pumping started."

Jordan and Israel announced Wednesday the start of experimental pumping of natural gas imported from Israel in implementation of the agreement.
The deal comes despite widespread disapproval in Jordan for the notion of buying Israeli energy.
The past years have seen a number of demonstrations in Amman against the proposed import of gas from Israel.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara