Protests in Jordan against water-for-electricity deal with "Israel"

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen Net
12 Nov 12:23

Jordanians protest in rejection of all agreements with the Israeli occupation.

Thousands of Jordanians demonstrated on Friday in the center of the capital, Amman.

Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets on Friday in the center of the capital, Amman, to protest the government's signing of the water-for-electricity agreement with the Israeli occupation - sponsored by the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

The rally was called for by the National Forum to Resist Normalization and Protect the Homeland, as well as partisan and union forces that oppose the signing of the agreement that took place on the sidelines of the COP27 Climate Summit in Egypt.

Demonstrators criticized what they called the continuation of tampering with the Jordanian constitution, chanting slogans rejecting all agreements with the Israeli occupation, such as the Wadi Araba agreement, the gas agreement, and ending with the recent water-for-electricity agreement.

من مشاركتنا في الوقفة التي دعت إليها الحملة الوطنيةلإسقاط اتفاقيةالغاز مع الكيان الصهيوني(#غاز_العدو_احتلال)ظهر أمس الجمعة،في ساحةالمسجد الحسيني وسط البلد ردًّا على الإمعان في مشروع صهينة الأردن والإعلان عن توقيع اتفاقيّةجديدة مع الصهاينةلتسريع تنفيذ مشروع"الكهرباء مقابل الماء" pic.twitter.com/NDuTfbaiy8
— اتحرّك (@Move_Boycott) November 12, 2022

According to the agreement, Jordan will supply the Israeli occupation with 600 megawatts of solar power capacity, through a solar photovoltaic power station in Jordan's southern desert. In return, "Israel" will supply Jordan with 200 million cubic meters of desalinated water through a special station on the Mediterranean.

Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar had said the agreement was the "most significant" since the two signed a "peace" treaty in 1994.

International pressure exerted on Jordan to abandon its identity

On his part, Jordanian parliament member, Musa Hantash, expressed his rejection of any agreements concluded with the Israeli occupation.

In a press statement, Hantash pointed out that international pressure is being exerted on Jordan to abandon its identity, distort its compass, and be forced to sign the water-for-electricity agreement with the Israeli occupation, despite the existence of other alternatives.

The Jordanian politician explained that the National Water Carrier will provide Jordanians with 300 million cubic meters of water, while the water-for-electricity agreement with the Israeli occupation will provide them with 200 million cubic meters, which is 100 million cubic meters less.

It is noteworthy that the National Water Carrier is a project to desalinate the Red Sea water from the city of Aqaba in the south and transfer it to the governorates of Jordan in the north, with quantities ranging between 250 and 300 million cubic meters, and at a cost of up to one billion dollars in its first phase.

The Jordanian government previously announced that it would start implementing the project in 2024.