Jordan has several options to counter Israeli provocations — premier

AMMAN — Jordan has several options it can consider against recurrent Israeli aggression on Al Aqsa Mosque, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said, reiterating His Majesty King Abdullah’s message that provocations in Jerusalem will affect ties between Jordan and Israel.

In an interview with Qatari Al Sharq Newspaper, published on Monday, Ensour said the King will convey Jordan's message on Al Aqsa Mosque to the world during the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 28, 2015, as His Majesty will be the first Arab leader to address the assembly.

Since last week, tensions have been running high in the occupied Palestinian territories — especially at East Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque complex — where for three days in a row Israeli police used rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas to disperse Muslim worshippers, according to news agencies.

Ensour said violations by the Israeli occupation against Al Aqsa Mosque are completely rejected by all Jordanians and Arabs, pointing out that His Majesty King Abdullah, the Jordanian government and people are closely following up on what is happening at Al Haram Al Sharif, which comprises Al Aqsa Mosque. 

He also stressed the importance of Arab and Islamic coordination, at various levels, to stop such acts of aggression and violations and to confront all Israeli attempts of Judaisation of the holy sites in Jerusalem. 

Lauding the strong ties between Jordan and Qatar and the brotherly relations between His Majesty King Abdullah and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the premier highlighted the continuing coordination between officials from the two countries.

He pointed out the most recent of which was a visit by Interior Minister Salameh Hammad to Doha, and explained that Hammad's visit was important to further boost the ongoing cooperation between the two countries. He also stressed that Jordan is committed to developing, in particular, its economic and security cooperation with Qatar.

With regard to domestic issues, he highlighted the issue of political and economic reform in Jordan, pointing out that the Kingdom is carrying on with a broad reform process to maintain a strong position, promote the rule of law and achieve economic reforms. 

Highlighting Jordan’s drive towards democracy through its endorsement of several pieces of legislation that foster political reform, Ensour said the government has stopped creating temporary laws and boosted the role of political parties, whose number currently stands at 36, to enable them to perform their role.

In the interview, the premier highlighted the challenges facing the Jordanian economy, in light of the regional crises. He also discussed the spillover of the Syrian crisis and its effect on the Jordanian labour market, as the Kingdom now hosts over 1.6 million Syrians.

Despite the spillover, Ensour said the legislation environment, media, development and social indicators are improving in Jordan. He also said the economic indicators are improving, including a visible decrease in the budget deficit year over year. 

Ensour said security tops Jordan’s priorities, followed closely by economic and political challenges.