Amman Net – Hadeel Biss

The momentum of popular activities in solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip was renewed, through gatherings around the Al-Kalouti Mosque near the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in Amman. This also occured in some governates in the kingdom, with the aim of the citizens expressing their support and solidarity with the Palestinian people and their resistance in the Strip.

This escalation of activities comes in response to the Israeli occupation continuing to commit its crimes, and the continuous bombing against the residents of the Gaza Strip since the seventh of last October.

Professor of political science and researcher of Palestinian affairs, Dr. Areej Jabr, points out that the return of these protests reflects the strong ties between the Jordanian and Palestinian people, and a rejection of the crimes of the occupation and the practice of genocide against civilians in the Gaza Strip. It is also a rejection of the terrible massacres that take place in hospitals in the Gaza Strip, in addition to what is happening in the West Bank and the raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Jabr believes that the return of the movement is an indication of the awakening of the global community as well, in response to the broad reactions of the Jordanian community to what is happening in the Gaza Strip and Palestine.

These demonstrations also carry strong political messages, according to Jabr, which emphasize the unity of the Jordanian people in rejecting the crimes of the Israeli occupation, and a call for more serious and international levels. This can be achieved by taking legal and diplomatic measures to confront the occupation and defend the rights of the Palestinian people.

Demands of the Jordanian community

The popular movement constitutes an integral part of the waves rejecting all forms of normalization, as it has been demanding, since the beginning of Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood”. This includes the cancellation of all normalization agreements, especially the Wadi Agreements.

The gas vehicle and agreement has ended its usefulness with the Israeli occupation having (illegally) expanded its borders. In addition to previous demands, protestors are demanding the halting of exports of vegetables from Jordan to the Israeli side. This is regardless of whether the exports are by individuals or private sectors. Furthermore, they call for the stopping of work on the land bridge and for confronting the blockade on the Gaza Strip that has led to enormous human suffering, and possible famine.

Jordan bears a special responsibility as it is the only country that bears custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites. Therefore, it can play an effective role in mobilizing the international community to confront the injustice in which the Palestinian people are exposed to in the Gaza Strip.

In response to the ongoing violations, Jordan announced last November its refusal to sign an energy-for-water exchange agreement with Israel, in light of the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip. This agreement was scheduled to be signed last October.

Refusal to make arrests

The popular movements in the vicinity were not devoid of violations by some individuals, which led to escalation of tensions and led to the arrest of 98 people by the security services.

Jabr points out that some people exceed the limits of demands by resorting to bypassing regulations and laws, such as storming buildings with diplomatic immunity, which constitute protected relations under diplomatic law that cannot be bypassed. It is necessary that the marches are organized and peaceful without harming the interests of others.

Whereas Representative Saleh Al-Armouti believes that we cannot discuss the draft general amnesty law, when the government continues to arrest a number of young people participating in sit-ins in front of the Israeli embassy. The judiciary decides whether to release them, and the administrative governor and Ministry of Interior refuse to sponsor any of them or release some of them.

For its part, the Hemam Committee expressed its concern and rejection of the arrests and detentions, and demanded the immediate release of the detainees and perpetrators, while calling for a review of the Cybercrime law and criticizing its use to prosecute activists.

It also criticized the use of force to disperse protestors and called on the government to respect human rights and the need to follow the rules of conduct in dealing with demonstrations and protests, focusing on the principle of exceptional use of force and principle of proportionality…