Jordan Times
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Sharon's office 'clarifies' his barrier remarks against Jordan
By a staff reporter
AMMAN — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office on Monday issued a statement, “clarifying” remarks he reportedly made that relations with Jordan could be damaged by joining an international campaign against the separation barrier.News reports quoted Sharon yesterday as warning Jordan “of having much to lose in worsening of its relations” with Israel by joining legal arguments before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague. Addressing the Knesset's foreign affairs and defence commission, the Israeli prime minister said the Kingdom was “leading the campaign in the Arab world [against the wall],” adding that “Jordan was merely frightened that many Palestinians would settle on its territory because of the barrier's erection.”
But Israeli embassy spokesperson Amir Weissbrod said Sharon “did not warn Jordan.” “Israel has good and strategic ties with Jordan,” Weissbrod told The Jordan Times. “However, the Kingdom's activity concerning the barrier exceeds the spirit of these relations.”
Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher yesterday told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the Kingdom's position is clear against the highly-condemned barrier, described by some as the “new Berlin wall.”
He reiterated that the fence, which cuts deep into the West Bank, does not only threaten a viable Palestinian state and the peace process, but also Jordan's national security.
He said Amman would present its legal argument to the ICJ by the end of this month along with other countries.
The UN General Assembly asked the ICJ to rule on the legal consequences of the 700km wall, which created widespread international condemnation and controversy.
The court is expected to begin hearings on Feb. 23.
Arab countries have been urged by the 22-member Arab League to prepare their cases and submit documents to its headquarters in Cairo by the end of January.
Muasher emphasised Jordan's responsibility to present its case considering its close ties with the Palestinians and the fact that the West Bank was part of the Kingdom.
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said he would be travelling to the Kingdom next week “as part of effort to improve relations with the Arab world.” The visit is the first official foreign ministerial one to Amman since August 1999. “I want to emphasise that Jordan is not Palestine and Israel does not support any kind of Palestinian resettlement in Jordan,” he told reporters in Israel.
In another development, Government Spokesperson Asma Khader was quoted by Al Arab Al Yawm daily as confirming reports that Israel would in the “upcoming few days” release around 18 Jordanian prisoners held in its jails.