Gulf News: Jordan $15b gas deal under threat over intensifying Israeli-Palestinian conflict

A proposal for Jordan to buy $15 billion (Dh55.08 billion) of natural gas from Israel is facing strong opposition in the kingdom because of the intensifying Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which officials fear could delay or even scupper the deal.

Jordan this month took the unprecedented step of recalling its ambassador after Israeli security forces entered Occupied Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque to subdue protesters angered over a move to end a long-standing deal prohibiting Jewish prayer at the site. It was the first time Jordan has officially recalled its envoy to Israel since the two countries signed a peace treaty 20 years ago.

The controversy over the gas deal highlights the high stakes in a sensitive bilateral relationship that sees Jordan’s government cooperate closely with Israel on water, security and other issues, despite widespread public antipathy toward the it and its policies toward the Palestinians.

Following a summit last week convened by the US Secretary of State John Kerry, Jordan’s King Abdullah and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu agreed undisclosed measures that cooled tensions over Al Aqsa, for now.
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