MK Arieh Eldad
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Jordan summons Israeli ambassador over rightist bill
Amman deeply angered by MK Eldad's bill proposing creation of Palestinian state in Hashemite Kingdom. 'Two states on the two banks of the Jordan River,' the bill says
Jordan is up in arms over a bill proposed by MK Arieh Eldad (National Union), which calls for "creating two states on the two banks of the Jordan River, one for the Israelis and one for the Palestinians".
The bill is up for debate in the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
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Petra, Jordan's official news agency, reported Tuesday that Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh summoned the Israeli ambassador to Amman and demanded the bill be withdrawn.
Judeh also took the opportunity to explain to the ambassador that Jordan "believes in establishing an independent and viable Palestinian state on Palestinian soil," a foreign ministry statement was quoted as saying.
"This is a strategic Jordanian interest that comes in line with a two-state solution and the Arab peace initiative," the statement said.
A Knesset debate has already taken place on Eldad's proposal. During the plenum discussion he said: "There are already two states for two peoples. The Land of Israel has been divided, my national home has been divided and three quarters of it handed to the Arabs by the British Empire. Seventy percent of Jordan's population is Palestinian, so there is a de-facto Palestinian state."
Amnon Meranda and AFP contributed to this report
