Jordan Times
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Gov't to tackle
issue of Gazans residing in the Kingdom
By Rakan Sayadeh
AMMAN — The government on Wednesday said it was
ready to tackle the issue of some 118,000 Gazans living in the Kingdom with the
concerned parties once the situation settles in Gaza and the Palestinian
Authority assumes control of the Strip after the Israeli pullout.
Speaking to reporters yesterday following a meeting between Prime Minister Adnan
Badran and the heads of the Lower House blocs, Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi
Majali did not elaborate on the discussions with the government regarding the
issue, or the plans the government has prepared to tackle the issue.
He said deputies present at the meeting had voiced their fears regarding the
issue of resettlement and the alternative homeland, while the government said it
was waiting for the right opportunity, politically, to open the Gazans' file.
Majali, who described the meeting as positive, said the lawmakers demanded that
the government control the number of visitors entering and leaving the Kingdom,
especially Palestinians and Iraqis, employing an accurate mechanism that
specifies the purpose of the visit and limits it time-wise.
The government said traffic at the country's borders was normal except for a
slight difference in the number of visitors leaving the Kingdom as opposed to
those entering it, according to Majali.
Majali said they also discussed whether there was a need for new anti-terrorism
legislation, saying that he expressed the House's willingness to issue such
legislation if needed.
Deputy Prime Minister Marwan Muasher, Minister of Interior Awni Yarvas and
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Karim Malahmeh also attended the
meeting.