Protestors by candlelight
Jordanians turn off the lights to protest gas deal with Israel
Citizens have been protesting the signing of a deal to purchase gas from Israel, and Sunday night, many shut off their lights for an hour to communicate their displeasure; 'The gas deal is an occupation,' was the slogan.
Ever since the announcement last week that an American-Israeli consortium had signed a deal to export gas to Jordan, the protests in the kingdom haven't ceased. After protests and demonstrations on Friday in Amman with the slogan "The gas deal is an occupation," opponents on Sunday night chose to turn off their lights for an hour.
The $10-billion contract was signed with the National Electric Power Company of Jordan (NEPCO) and would provide 8.4 million cubic meters of gas to Jordan per diem over 15 years with an option of 1.4 million supplementary cubic meters.
Friday, following Muslim prayers, hundreds protested in the capital against "the importation of gas from the Zionist enemy" after being encouraged to do so by professional syndicates and political parties that also call to cancel the peace treaty with Israel. "The Jordanian people is free; the Zionists' gas is a disgrace."
Amman Monday night
A social-media campaign called that citizens turn off their lights from 9 to 10pm to protest the controversial deal. Many uploaded pictures of themselves lit by candles to show their participation with a hashtag meaning "The enemy's gas is an occupation."
Calling for the lights-out
The Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood that just reintegrated into the Jordanian parliament, denounced on Monday "the unjustified obstinacy of the government in the Zionist entity's gas, knowing that this product is stolen from the waters of occupied Palestine."
Protest candles
Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Dr. Jawad Al-Anani, who attended Israeli statesman Shimon Peres's funeral on Friday, commented on Monday morning, "The government is aware of the popular opinion relating to the deal, but it is acting purely economically. There are no political issues in the deal." He also pointed out that the deal was signed between NEPCO and Noble, an American part of the consortium.
