The national flags of Jordan and Israel are seen from the Israeli side of the border area between Israel and Jordan, in Naharayim. Reuters File
The national flags of Jordan and Israel are seen from the Israeli side of the border area between Israel and Jordan, in Naharayim. Reuters File
Amman: Jordan is attempting to obtain the release of a legislator who was imprisoned by Israel on suspicion of smuggling weapons and gold into the West Bank, according to the kingdom’s foreign ministry on Sunday.
Imad al Adwan, a member of parliament who had driven through the main border crossing along the Jordan River earlier on Sunday, was being detained and questioned by Israeli police, according to Sinan al Majali, a spokesman for the Jordanian foreign ministry. His counsel could not be identified right away by Reuters.
“The ministry in coordination with the relevant agencies in the kingdom was efforting to get details of the case and resolve it as speedily as possible,” Majali said.
A spokesperson for Israel’s foreign ministry declined to comment on reports of the arrest.
Prominent Jordanian lawmaker Khalil Atiya, known for his vocal opposition to Israel and who has led campaigns to repeal the country’s peace treaty with Israel, said the government would be held responsible if it failed to act quickly.
“There should be no room left for the enemy to harm the dignity of Jordanians by detaining and jailing a member of the parliament,” Atiya said.
Israel enjoys close security ties with Jordan, the Arab neighbour it shares its longest stretch of border with, but political relations have soured in recent years over Israel’s stance on the right of Palestinians to a state.
Many of the kingdom’s citizens are of Palestinian origin.
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