Jordanians want peace treaty with Israel scrapped over West Bank barrier

Jordanians want peace treaty with Israel scrapped over West Bank barrier

AFP
Date: Thu Dec 9

AMMAN (AFP) - Jordanian political parties, unions and civil groups urged the government to scrap the 10-year-old peace treaty with Israel to protest the "apartheid wall" it is building across the West Bank.

"The struggle against the Israeli apartheid wall is part of our relentless fight to liberate Palestine from Israeli occupation," they said in a statement.

"Jordanians are required to force the government to cancel the Wadi Araba treaty in order to act as an example to other Arab countries," said the statement signed by 25 small nationalistic parties, unions, student and women associations.

The group said it would launch from Friday a week-long campaign to "win Arab and international public opinions to put pressure on their governments" against the barrier, including a documentary film, a picture exhibit and conferences.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague (news - web sites), the UN's highest tribunal, ruled in July that the barrier was illegal and that parts built on Palestinian territory must be dismantled.

That non-binding verdict was later endorsed by a vote among members of the UN General Assembly, including all members of the European Union (news - web sites).

But Israel insists that the barrier -- a montage of barbed wire, concrete, watchtowers and trenches -- is vital to preventing Palestinian attacks on its soil.

The Palestinians say its route, which often juts deep into their territory and is expected to cover more than 700 kilometers (420 miles) when it is completed by the end of 2005, is proof of an intent to pre-empt the borders of their promised future state.

Jordan is only the second Arab country after Egypt to have signed a peace treaty with Israel.

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