Jordan Times
Thursday, July 23, 2009
'Kingdom might not
request Israeli compensation for Jordan Valley fire'
By Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN - The government is uncertain whether it will demand compensation from
Israel for damages sustained from a fire in the Jordan Valley which originated
from the Israeli side, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
Jordanian and Israeli officials are expected to meet today to put an end to
recurring fires on the Israeli side of the Jordan Valley that pose a threat to
the Kingdom's agricultural sector.
A joint committee, formed to assess the damage caused by a fire that erupted on
Saturday at the border between Jordan and Israel, completed its report
yesterday.
The report revealed that 60 dunums of agricultural lands at the border were
affected by the fire, which started on the Israeli side, while the cost of the
damage was estimated at JD25,000, Minister of Agriculture Saeed Masri told The
Jordan Times yesterday.
Masri, who in an earlier statement insisted that Israel should shoulder the
responsibility for the fire, said yesterday he was “uncertain” whether Jordan
will demand compensation from the Israeli government.
"The cost of the damage was smaller than we expected, thus we will consult with
the prime minister [on requesting compensation]," Masri noted.
The Jordan Valley's total agricultural area consists of 300,000 dunums, around
190,000 of which are planted with vegetables and the rest with bananas, grains
and citrus fruit.
Regarding today's meeting with Israeli officials, the minister said the
directors of animal and agricultural production at the Ministry of Agriculture
will meet with their Israeli counterparts to discuss means to prevent and
contain future fires, which occur frequently on the Israeli side of the Jordan
Valley.
"We will urge for an end to the fires and the adoption of precautionary measures
to contain them in the future,” he said, noting that the ministry may ask the
Israeli government to improve its monitoring efforts and to inform Jordanian
authorities in case a fire erupts near the border.
He noted that Jordanian farmers first discovered the fire and alerted the Civil
Defence Department (CDD) after the blaze raged through their farms.
The CDD said Saturday's fire started in the afternoon as a result of high
temperatures and strong winds which carried the flames from Israel into the
Kingdom. Over 35 department vehicles were used to extinguish the blaze, which
continued into Saturday evening.