Israel spoils Jordan peace efforts

Israel spoils Jordan peace efforts

By Jack Redden

AMMAN (Reuter): Israel's plan to take over land in Arab Jerusalem has hit a raw nerve in Jordan, fueling growing doubts about peace just as King Hussein was pressing ahead to establish full normal relations.

Anger at the expropriation of 131 acres (53 hectares) of land in areas captured in 1967 was directed both at Israel and the United States, which on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for cancellation of the land seizure.

Foreign Minister Abdul-Karim al-Kabariti, terming the U.S. vote "immoral" and "hypocrisy", said he summoned the U.S. ambassador on Thursday to express Jordan's views.

Few issues are as sensitive in Jordan as Jerusalem. Not only is much of the population composed of refugees from Israeli expansion but the kingdom is still responsible for Moslem holy places in Jerusalem.

"Israel's action makes a mockery of all efforts to bring about peace and stability in the region," the Jordan Times newspaper wrote. "The U.S. stand cannot be more disappointing to all those who accepted its role in the peace negotiations."

"If Israel is not honoring its commitment to the peace process, should the Arab parties be expected to do (so)?" its editorial concluded.

The editorial was written hours after an informal session of parliament on Wednesday produced angry calls for everything from the expulsion of Israel's new ambassador to a full severing of the relations established only last October.

The formal closing statement from the deputies omitted demands for Jordanian reprisals, settling for expressing "rage and condemnation" of Israel's action.

That moderation reflected government intervention rather than the mood of parliament -- an indication of the awkward position King Hussein had been placed in by Israel's latest efforts to tighten its grip around the Arab half of Jerusalem.

The king had just ordered parliament, which is officially in recess, to reconvene in early June for a special session to pass legislation that would remove existing anti-Israeli laws.

The changes, required under the peace treaty the countries signed last October, had been blocked in February when so many deputies boycotted the final session of parliament that no laws could be passed.

Although the countries have signed a peace treaty, relations are far from complete. The two failed to meet the six-month target in the treaty for signing accords covering trade -- once seen by Jordanians as a major potential benefit of peace.

Jordanian doubts about King Hussein's sudden agreement to peace with their long-time foe appear to have grown steadily, with diplomats noting that even former supporters are distancing themselves from the treaty.

Those opposed to normal relations with Israel from the start have found fresh justification in Israel's expansion of Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem, a continuation of the policy the Jewish state has single-mindedly pursued since 1967.

The Islamic Action Front, the largest party in parliament with 16 of the 80 seats, announced it would hold a long-delayed conference on May 26 to organize resistance to normalization.