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Jordanians view gas deal with Israel as political: Commentator

Saturday, 01 October 2016 6:07 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 01 October 2016 6:09 PM ]

Jordanians gather during a protest against the government agreement to import natural gas from Israel, in the capital Amman on September 30, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Naseer al-Omari, an author and political commentator, says Jordanians view the government’s gas deal with the Tel Aviv regime as “political” and as an indication of King Abdullah II pandering to Israel.

“The problem with the Jordanian government is that these deals are not processed through parliament, are not put up for discussion among the people of Jordan,” Omari told Press TV.

“There is a feeling in Jordan that the regime in Jordan is too close to the Israelis, does not really stand up to the Israelis and there is a feeling that all of these economic problems that have been accumulating in Jordan have been as a result of bad policies including having these deals with Israel,” he added.

Thousands of people have staged a demonstration in Jordan to express their resentment over the government’s decision to sign a multi-billion-dollar gas deal with Israel.

The participants in the demonstration, organized at the invitation of parties and groupings from across Jordan’s political spectrum as well as trade unions, argued that the 10-billion-dollar gas deal struck this week by the government-owned electricity company to buy Israeli-supplied natural gas runs contrary to Jordan’s national interests, calling for its immediate abolition.

The commentator also noted the feeling of “distrust” and “frustration” with the Jordanian government is on the increase.

He also said Jordanians believe the recent elections are not going to lead to any change and that the country is run by one person which is the king himself.

“The feeling is prevalent in Jordan that the king is too close to the West, too close to Israel and does not really listen to the people and this gas deal is just an example of how the king can go in one direction and the people can go in a different direction,” he stated.

According to the commentator, people do not “buy the argument” that Jordan needs to import fuel and gas when it sits next to the world reserve of gasoline in Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries.

On September 26, Jordan’s National Electric Power Company signed an agreement with US-based Noble Energy and Israeli partners, which will tap the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel for the supply of approximately 1.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, or 300 million cubic feet per day (mcf/d), over a 15-year term. Production is expected to begin around 2019 or 2020.

Jordan’s National Electric Power Company claims that the gas deal will save Jordan $600 million on a yearly basis.

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