Jordanian lawmakers vote to 'review' peace treaty with Israel

Jordanian lawmakers have voted unanimously to review the Wadi Araba peace treaty and all agreements signed with Israel in a session on Sunday, on the back of Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The kingdom's parliament tasked its legal committee to study all agreements signed with Israel and record violations by Tel Aviv from the time of the peace treaty to make an appropriate decision, according to a statement seen by local daily Al-Ghad.

In another motion, 14 Jordanian MPs signed a memo calling for launching measures to abolish the treaty of Wadi Araba.

Twitter Post

On 6 December, US President Donald Trump announced he would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and begin preparations to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city. Trump's move triggered a global backlash, and protests from the US to Indonesia.

On Saturday, dozens of Jordanians carrying national flags gathered in front of the US embassy in the capital Amman to denounce Trump's decision, while other rallies were reported in other towns and areas following a "day of rage" on Friday, said local English daily Jordan Times.

Protesters called for the expulsion of the US ambassador and the abolishment of the Wadi Araba peace treaty with Israel.

Later in the day, His Majesty King Abdullah tweeted: "Jordanians are always the centre point of this nation, and what they have shown today is a strong feeling towards Jerusalem, our first issue, with unmatched cohesion and brotherhood."

Jordan is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Arab East Jerusalem, which was under Jordanian control before Israel captured it in the 1967 War and annexed it a year later.

The move was never recognised by the international community.

Israel regards Jerusalem, including both its Jewish-majority Western part and Arab-majority East Jerusalem captured in the 1967 war, as its capital.

Nearly the entire world rejects this position, saying Jerusalem's status should be determined in peace talks with the Palestinians.

East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City and holy sites revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims, is considered occupied Palestinian territory under international law. 

The Palestinians hope it would become the capital of their future state once agreed in final status negotiations with Israel, according to the 1993 Oslo Accords. Trump's move puts this hope in serious jeopardy.

Despite signing a peace treaty in Wadi Araba in 1994, Jordanian-Israeli relations have been strained repeatedly over the past several years, especially over the issue of Jerusalem.

In July, a Jordanian citizen was killed inside the Israeli embassy compound in Amman, without the Israeli killer being punished on account of his diplomatic immunity.