Jordanians demonstrate urging closure of Israeli embassy

Sep 15, 2011, 18:29 GMT

Amman - About 1,000 Jordanians demonstrated outside the Kaluti Mosque in Amman's Rabia neighbourhood Thursday night, urging for the closure of the Israeli embassy and the abrogation of the peace treaty with Israel.

Security forces cordoned off the area, set up metal barricades outside the mosque and later prevented the protesters from proceeding to the Israeli diplomatic mission, which was earlier evacuated.

The protesters, belonging mainly to the Islamic-led opposition, trade unions and pan-Arab groups, chanted slogans and raised placards urging the government to cancel the peace pact that Jordan concluded with Israel in 1994.

Activists earlier sent out messages on Facebook calling for a demonstration of 1 million people to storm the Israeli embassy. That effort failed to attract such large numbers, possibly because of the heightened security measures taken by the authorities.

'The Koran is our constitution and jihad is our path,' one of the slogans raised said.

'No to the alternative homeland and we are going to burn Israel,' another slogan said, referring to suggestions by extremist Israeli politicians for the setting up of a homeland for Palestinians in Jordan instead of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Thursday's rally found inspiration from a demonstration in Cairo that ended last week with the storming the Israeli diplomatic mission in Egypt and the forced evacuation of its staff.

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