Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb has denounced some Jordanians' opposition to normalized relations with Israel, saying their efforts created a political and economic "burden" for the kingdom. Abu Ragheb, whose statements were carried by the Jordanian press Tuesday, made the remarks during a meeting with the heads of Jordan's professional unions who recently staged an anti-normalisation conference in Amman.
"The government does not have any position towards any party that refuses normalisation with Israel," with whom Jordan signed a peace treaty in October 1994, Abu Ragheb told the union leaders Monday.
"But it will protect anyone having economic deals with Israel in line with the law and the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty," Abu Ragheb said in statements carried by the official Petra news agency and the Tuesday press.
"The talk about resisting normalization has become a political and economic burden on us because investors shy away from investing in Jordan against such a climate and we are in dire need of foreign investments," Abu Ragheb said.
Last week Jordan's Islamic-controlled professional unions hosted a two-day forum devoted to normalisation bashing, concluding its work with a call for a unified Arab position to oppose ties with Israel. - (AFP)
© Agence France Presse 2000
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
