Jordan MPs urge revoking Israel treaty

Dozens of Jordanian lawmakers have called on the Amman government to revoke a 1994 peace treaty with the Israeli regime amid a Knesset debate on a plan to annex the al-Aqsa Mosque.

Late on Tuesday, as many as 47 lawmakers signed a petition, urging the Jordanian government to freeze the 20-year-old treaty with Israel.

The al-Aqsa Mosque is Islam’s third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. Jordan is also the custodian of the holy site.

The lawmakers also criticized the government for failing to take a strong stand against Israel.

One of the lawmakers also called for expelling the Israeli ambassador.

The call for a freeze in the so-called peace deal came after a similar request by Jordan’s main opposition, the Islamic Action Front (IAF) on Tuesday.

“We urge the government to meet the demands of people who have repeatedly called for freezing and eventually cancelling the peace treaty,” said IAF on its website on Tuesday.

The IAF statement came after Israeli troops and police raided the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) on Tuesday, and forcefully dispersed Palestinian worshipers and protesters.

In recent months, Israeli forces and settlers have stepped up their attacks on the mosque. This has led to violent confrontations between the two sides.

Earlier this month, clashes erupted between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli soldiers at the mosque. The clashes broke out when Israeli forces stormed the holy site during Friday prayer. At least 20 people, including children, were wounded in the violence.

The Palestinian Authority and the resistance movement of Hamas have also warned against Israeli plans to impose its “sovereignty” on the al-Aqsa Mosque.