Jordan: Religious Jews unwelcome
Israeli officials file protest after group barred from entering Jordan after Jewish ritual articles found in their belongings: Jordan says group barred for fear of terror attack, Israel not satisfied with explanation
The Foreign Ministry raised the matter with Jordan and protested the incident. Diplomatic sources said the answers provided by Jordanian officials were unsatisfactory and added Israel will continue to look into the matter.
Meanwhile, Ynet learned that Jordanian officials justified their decision using different arguments, one of them being that individuals who look obviously Jewish or Israeli may be targets for terror groups in the Kingdom.
Jordanian authorities added they are concerned about the diplomatic implications of a possible terror attack on Israelis. However, Israeli officials were not satisfied with the answers and are still in touch with their Jordanian counterparts in an attempt to resolve the matter.
National Religious Party chairman Zevulun Orlev in response called on Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to press Jordan to reverse its decision to bar religious Israelis from entering the country.
“Jordan’s attitude is reminiscent of dark periods in the history of the Jewish people,” Orlev said.
Safety concerns
Notably, this is not the first incident where Israelis, and particularly those displaying religious characteristics, are barred from entering Jordan.
In August, Israel issued a travel warning to all its citizens not to visit the country's eastern neighbor based on "concrete" security warnings of possible attacks by terror groups. The advisory does not bar Israelis from Jordan but states that travel there is subject to their individual judgment and responsibility.
"The Jordanians have raised serious concerns as to safety and we are continuing a dialogue with them," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev told Reuters.
Three suicide bombings ripped through luxury hotels in Jordan's capital Amman in November in a coordinated attack claimed by the al-Qaeda group in Iraq.
In the wake of recent terror warnings, Canada, Australia and Britain temporarily closed their embassies in Amman.
Reuters contributed to this report
