Jordanians Reject Gas Deal with Israel

Amman, 26 Dzulhijjah 1437/28 September 2016 (MINA) – ​Jordanian activists, MPs, and professional associations on Tuesday expressed anger and concern over the gas deal signed a day earlier between Jordan’s government and Israel.

Online activists launched an electronic campaign using the hashtag “The enemy’s gas is occupation” on social media in protest against normalization with Israel, as quoted by The Palestinian Information Center (PIC).

Hundreds of activists also took part in a sit-in outside the Energy Ministry headquarters in Amman to protest against a government agreement to import natural gas from Israel on Tuesday.

Dozens of Jordanian MPs and national figures have also expressed deep concern over the agreement, showing total rejection of importing gas from Israel.

Head of the Homeland Protection and Normalization Resistance Committee in Jordan Manaf Magali said that Jordanians have opposed the gas deal since it was first announced two years ago.

He questioned the timing of the deal especially that the current government is a caretaker government.

For his part, the BDS activist Massira Mallas affirmed that the imported gas is a Palestinian stolen gas.

The Jordanian MP Salah Armouti considered the gas deal with Israel as a new occupation.

Along the same line, the Jordanian National Campaign Against Gas Agreement with the Zionist Entity has announced that it would stage a protest after Friday prayers in downtown Amman, calling for the cancellation of the agreement.

On Monday, a gas deal was signed between Jordan’s National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) and Israel.(T/P008/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)