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AMMAN — The first Jordanian association for electric cars owners has announced receiving its license, in light of the significant increase of electric cars use in the Kingdom, which reached more 10,000 cars in the last three years, a statement by the association said “Setting up this association is vital as it will represent all owners of electric cars,” the statement said.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday received a phone call from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and discussed with him developments in Palestine after the United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem.

King Abdullah and President Erdogan stressed the importance of stepping up Arab and Islamic efforts to safeguard the Palestinians’ rights and their just cause, and to put a stop to the violence perpetrated by Israel against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of around 60 people and thousands of injuries. 

The two sides agreed that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem would have implications on efforts to achieve peace, security, and stability in the region.

His Majesty and President Erdogan also affirmed the importance of maintaining coordination and consultation on various issues, especially the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem.

On Monday, His Majesty stressed during a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron that Jordan rejects and condemns the blatant acts of aggression and violence perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. 

The King emphasised that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem would have serious repercussions on security and stability in the Middle East and will inflame the feelings of Muslims and Christians.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the National Policies Council, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, a Royal Court statement said.

The discussions focused on the situation in the Palestinian territories after relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem and the Israeli violations against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, who have seen dozens killed and thousands injured when Israeli occupation forces resorted to excessive force against a rally to protest the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem and demand return to lands occupied by Israel upon its creation in 1948.

During the meeting, His Majesty stressed condemnation and absolute refusal of the Israeli forces’ violence against the “brotherly” Palestinians in Gaza, calling on the International Community to fulfil its responsibility of protecting the Palestinian people. 

He asserted that Jordan will remain the supporter of Palestinians in confronting challenges and difficult circumstances and will keep dedicating all its capabilities to sustain their steadfastness on their national territory.

The King directed the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) to send urgent medical and humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and he ordered the transfer of Palestinians with critical injuries to Jordan to be treated at the hospitals affiliated with the Royal Medical Services.

The meeting focused on Jordan position that rejects the relocation of the embassy, which “provoked the feelings of Muslims and Christians in the entire world”, the statement said. 

His Majesty also stressed the Kingdom’s support for Palestinians in preserving their historical and legal rights in Jerusalem, and their efforts to establish a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. 

He noted the importance of intensifying efforts of Arab, Muslim and other countries to protect the rights of Arabs in the Holy City, which, he said, is key to peace and stability in the region.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Hani Mulki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Jafar Hassan, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat, General Intelligence Department Director Maj. Gen. Adnan Jundi and Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas, King`s adviser on tribal affairs, HRH Prince Ghazi Ben Mohammad, State Minister for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani, Interior Minister Samir Mubaidin, Director of Public Security Department Director Maj. Gen. Fadel Hmoud and Gendarmerie Director Maj. Gen. Hussein Hawatmeh.

The King on Monday directed the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army to reinforce the capabilities of the Jordanian field hospital in Gaza as more Palestinians are in need for such services due to Israeli aggression. 

Under the directives, Royal Medical Services are tasked to provide the decade-old facility with all the medical supplies and cadres it needs to provide medical care to injured Palestinians as a result of the attacks by Israel.

On Tuesday, Hospital Director Lt. Col. Hatem Zu’bi said that the medical staff of the Jordanian field hospital “Gaza 52” has dealt with 37,000 patients since its arrival in the Gaza Strip and the Jordanian field hospital is continuing to provide medical care through specialised clinics in addition to the emergency room, which operates around the clock to receive cases during the current events in the Gaza Strip, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The agency quoted hospital’s patients as voicing their appreciation of His Majesty King Abdullah’s support for the Palestinian people and his directives to establish and maintain the Jordanian field hospital, which began to provide services, including major surgeries, in 2009 in order to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip.

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has said ending the Israeli occupation and restoring the rights of Palestinians is the only path to peace.

He told CNN’s Becky Anderson in an interview on Tuesday (the transcript of which was e-mailed to The Jordan Times by the Foreign Ministry) that Jordan is committed to doing everything it can to bring about a comprehensive and lasting peace and would be working with the US, the Europeans and others in the international community to bring about that peace. 

“However,” he said, “We have to recognise that the source of all evils is occupation. You cannot build peace on crushing peoples’ rightful aspirations; you cannot build peace on blood and you cannot build peace on violence. ... We believe any peace deal should address the Palestinian right to freedom and independence, a Palestinian state on the basis of the June 4th, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital, living in peace and security with an Israel that is recognised and accepted by the whole Arab and Muslim world. 

“There is a reality, a very terrible reality, an unacceptable reality, which is occupation. I think we will be finding ourselves, unfortunately, moving towards more violence. And let me just reaffirm that violence is born out of despair, and is born out of denying the Palestinian people their right,” the minister told the network.

Commenting on the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza at the hands of Israeli forces on Monday, the top diplomat said that bloody Israeli reaction was “uncalled for, unnecessary, unjustified, illegal, inhumane ... aggression against innocent civilians protesting against occupation. What we saw yesterday is a sign of things that are going to deteriorate unless we are able to recapture the moment and move effectively towards ending occupation and fulfilling the Palestinian people right to freedom and statehood on their land”.

Responding to a question on why the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem provoked such protests, the official said that “Jerusalem is an extremely emotive subject. It is sacred to Muslims, Christians and to Jews, and that is why it has always been a final status issue that international law says needs to be resolved through negotiations on the basis of international law, which recognises that East Jerusalem is an occupied city, that should become the capital of an independent state”. 

“To come and determine the future of Jerusalem outside the context of a broader peace plan that would bring the comprehensive peace that we all seek, is something that sends the wrong message about our collective commitment as an international community to end the occupation and bring justice to the Palestinians and fulfill their basic human rights to freedom and independence,” he said.

Anderson asked that if “nobody wants a continuation of this cycle, foreign minister. If the Palestinians won’t talk to the US because they say the US is no longer an honest broker, I do wonder where thing go from here. And what can Egypt and Jordan, crucial regional actors, and other Arab states including Saudi Arabia, do to help deliver both parties back to the negotiating table at this point”.

In response, Safadi said that Amman’s commitment to peace is “unwavering”, adding that Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries “have been working and are willing to continue to work with the US and with others to bring about a peaceful solution to this conflict... [but] if things continue to go the way they have gone yesterday — on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, the greatest injustice of modern times — instead of sending a message of peace, they [Israelis] are sending soldiers to shoot at innocent civilians, we’re not going to get anywhere. What we need to do is for all of us to get together and realise that the two-state solution is the only way forward, and move forward”.

Safadi stressed that Palestinians will eventually come to back to the negotiating table when constructive ideas are presented assuring all that the trajectory is moving towards a lasting peace on the basis of the two-state solution. 

“As far as Jerusalem is concerned,” he said, “East Jerusalem is an occupied territory; it should be a symbol of peace and in order for it to be a symbol of peace, occupation has to end and oppression has to go away from the streets, alleys and neighbourhoods of the city. 

“Jordan, as you know has been working to push the message of peace forward; His Majesty is the Custodian of Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, and he has repeatedly said that Jerusalem is the key to peace, and Jerusalem should be addressed within a broader solution that would bring about a two-state solution which, again, is the only way to make sure that we end this conflict that has taken so many lives and has caused so much suffering and that will continue to deteriorate unless we’re able to reach political horizon and tell the Palestinians that they have a future and they can ultimately live like any other people on Earth, in freedom, with dignity, without oppression and without occupation haunting their days and nights”.

AMMAN — Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission announced on Tuesday a decision to lower electricity tariffs on three productive sectors.

The beneficiaries of the move include the intermediate industrial sector, telecom and private hospitals, according to a statement by the regulator, reported by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The measure is part of the Economic Growth Plan being implemented by the government to stimulate the economy within four years. 

For the first sector, the government, as of June 1, will not increase the tariff, in case oil prices go up, by more than JD0.10 for each kWh. 

The government has set a $55 per crude barrel cap to keep electricity tariffs unchanged, with prices hiked proportionately with the difference in the price of oil. 

As for the telecom and private hospitals sectors, the tariffs will go down gradually through three stages that will end in 2020 with the price of each kWh to reach a low of JD0.16 per kWh. The new tariff will go into effect on the first of July, the statement said.  

AMMAN — Ramadan will start in Jordan on Thursday after religious authorities announced that they did not sight the crescent moon of the fasting lunar month.

Grand Mufti Mohammad Khalaileh made the announcement following a customary ceremony at King Hussein Mosque in Amman when scholars watch for the new moon (hilal) to decide which day the fasting begins according to Islamic traditions, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The majority of Islamic scholars agree that one witness to the sighting the moon is enough to declare the beginning of the fasting month. However, in modern times, local religious leaders handle the process and use telescopes for this purpose before the mufti announces the result of the watch, which takes place at dusk on the evening of the 29th of Shaban (the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar).

In Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset.

The same process of spotting the crescent is applied at the end of Ramadan, as scholars and experts meet on the 29th of the month to decide, upon sighting or lack of sighting of the hilal, whether to complete 30 days of fasting, or announce Eid Al Fitr, the holiday on the first of Shawwal.

In a related development, the Public Security Department (PSD) announced on Tuesday its security and traffic safety plan for Ramadan, Petra reported.

The traffic plan, to be implemented by the Central Traffic Department, entails dealing with the increase of traffic congestions on main roads, shopping areas and places of worship, to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.

The number of traffic police personnel will be increased across the Kingdom, the department said. 

The PSD called upon residents to avoid traffic violations that cause traffic delays, to abide by rules and to comply with the instructions of traffic police.

Regarding security, the department announced measures to counter the rise in theft cases as people leave their homes for worshipping, travelling or shopping purposes.

The PSD will increase the number of police officers and patrols in residential areas and marketplaces. The officers will closely monitor shopping facilities that are expected to be crowded during the holy month.

The department warned residents against leaving home for extended periods of time, asking them to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of their houses and to make sure their valuable items are secured. The PSD also advised people not to carry valuable belongings in public places and to report any suspicious individuals to 911.

Meanwhile, the Civil Defence Department (CDD) urged the public to take necessary safety precautions and avoid hazardous behaviours during the fasting month.

The CDD highlighted the importance of being careful while cooking and checking gas cylinders to avoid fires, in addition to preserving food properly to prevent poisoning.

The department warned against speeding or driving when feeling tired, and to avoid staying in the sun for too long.

The CDD urged those supervising construction projects to follow up with their workers and give them enough rest during work, stressing on patients of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases to comply with their specialised doctors’ advice. 

The CDD also urged citizens to call 911 in case of an emergency.

AMMAN — Health Minister Mahmoud Sheyyab on Tuesday said that the value of spending on Jordan’s health sector has reached JD2.2 billion, JD1.25 billion of which is spent on public institutions.

Sheyyab said that the expenditure accounts to 8.4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), which is equivalent to the health expenditure of high-income countries.

He noted that, according to international health reports and indicators, Jordan’s health sector is advanced despite the limited available resources, especially indicators such as the vaccination coverage which reached 97 per cent, and the drop in the rate of women dying in childbirth, down to 19 women in every 100,000 births.

For medicines expenditure, the minister said that the value reached JD581 million, JD80 million of which is the ministry’s portion, with JD61 per person.

He explained that medicine is made available through the Joint Procurement Department with competitive tenders to ensure quality.

Sheyyab said that the Health Ministry’s budget has reached JD600 million, and the rate of people covered by insurance has reached 69 per cent, in addition to new segments being added to the coverage, including those above the age of 60 and children younger than six years old.

The ministry seeks to employ specialty doctors such as internists, paediatricians and gynaecologists in its health centres across the Kingdom, to improve the quality of the services provided to the public.

Also on Tuesday, Sheyyab visited a number of health centres to check on the quality of services and the needs of the facilities.

During the tour, the minister said that the ministry is currently implementing several projects to improve the sector as part of a five-year holistic strategy 

The strategy includes building 40 healthcare centres and improving 100 others.

The ministry is currently building five hospitals at a cost of JD400 million in Irbid, Ajloun, Madaba, Salt and Tafileh.  

AMMAN — Under the patronage of the Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh, scores of Jordanians on Tuesday gathered at the Professional Associations Complex in Amman to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe).

“Throughout the 70 past years, the Palestinians have taught the whole world great lessons of sacrifice and resilience, sending a powerful message that ‘we are still here’,” Tarawneh said in a speech opening the event, adding, “It is no surprise that the US has not responded to the international consensus which refuses the violations in Palestine, but what is surprising is the Arab silence.” 

“The unilateral” decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem at the time when Palestine marks its 70th anniversary of the Nakba is more than just bias towards Israel, but an attempt to threaten peace and stability in the region.

Tarawneh stressed that there should be more internal dialogues among the Arab leaders without any “external intervention” in order to take a joint action that grants the Palestinians their right of an independnet state of their own with Jerusalem, “as a whole”, as its capital.

 Tarawneh said: “all Jordanians are standing in one line under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah to support our Palestinian brothers and fight for their legitimate rights.”

Speaking on behalf of the Jordanians Professional Associations, President of the Jordan Medical Association Ali Al Ebous said that “Palestine has witnessed several catastrophes since Belfour Declaration till Trump’s decision to relocate Washington’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem This is an attempt that aims at Judaising Jerusalem.”

For his part, President of the preparatory committee Yaser Abu Sneineh said that 70 years have passed and people are still dying.”We should refuse all resolutions and normalisation with Israel.”

Organised by the preparatory committee of the Nakba anniversary at the Professional Associations Complex, the event also included Palestinian folkloric songs and the recitation of poems on the occasion. 

AMMAN — The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on Tuesday launched the Trade for Employment (T4E) programme, a project focused on enhancing the conditions of Jordanian companies to increase their trade performance and subsequently create more employment opportunities. 

Launched in partnership with UK Aid and the Dutch government, the initiative assists the private sector with shaping their general conditions conductive to trade and developing their negotiating capacities with chambers of commerce and trade associations. 

During the launching ceremony, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury thanked partners in the programme for their “continuous support and commitment to Jordan”, noting that the ministry is “working on creating a centralised, transformed exports support entity”. 

“This transformed entity will need efforts aimed at ensuring that the available resources are useful,” the minister continued, expressing confidence in the idea. “This programme [T4E] is well positioned to improve the ability of Jordanian firms to further benefit from the EU simplified rules of origin,” Fakhoury said. 

“The sole title of this programme hides several meanings,” Industry Minister Yarub Qudah pointed out, adding that “it is the time to enhance our economy and create more jobs, and the right way to do this is no other way but to partner with the private sector”. 

The project seeks to improve the quality of demand-driven, trade-related services while identifying the existing barriers to trade and developing action plans for the facilitation of export procedures in line with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement.

With this purpose, the project addresses companies with export experience whose markets collapsed due to the region’s current geopolitical situation, as well as exporting companies aiming to access new markets with improved or newly developed products. 

Additionally, a minimum of 2,000 Jordanian and Syrian job seekers will be supported in their pursuit of decent employment, and demand-oriented services will be availed to owners and employees of trade-oriented companies in order to promote employment and growth, according to a statement by GIZ. 

German Ambassador Birgitta Siefker-Eberle expressed hopes for T4E to “set an example for collaboration in every other sector in Jordan”, elaborating on the origins of the project in 2016, “when Jordan reached out to Germany to facilitate the access of Jordanian companies to the European market”.

“We shall not forget the role of women in this field,” UK Ambassador Edward Oakden pointed out, noting that the research behind the project shows that the Kingdom’s annual GDP could increase by up to the 5 per cent if Jordan Vision 2025 plan to raise women’s participation in the labour market to 24 per cent is realised.

For her part, Dutch Ambassador Barbara Joziasse noted that “jobs and more jobs are the reason why we are here today, and The Netherlands is a firm believer of the idea that trade is a big job creator”. expressing her keenness to “shake hands with Jordan and work together to boost employment”. 

AMMAN — Violence against women remains a major obstacle to achieving their full rights in Jordan, Minister of Justice Awad Abu Jarad on Tuesday said.

Abu Jarad added that “some people justify violence against women and children with religion and cultural norms, which is not the case at all”.

“Using religion and culture as an excuse to justify acts of violence against women and children is unacceptable and that is why the government took concrete steps to fight gender-based violence [GBV],” Abu Jarad said.

The minister’s remarks were made during a one-day national conference entitled “Gender-Based Violence Legal Protection” that was organised by Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI) and supported by Oxfam, held at the Land Mark Hotel in Amman.

Abu Jarad added that the government worked under the guidance and support of Their Majesties King Andullah and Queen Rania who “constantly addressed their concern about GBV and called for concrete and practical solution to safeguard the wellbeing of women and children in our society”.

SIGI’s Executive Director Asma Khader said during her opening speech that what is important is “ensuring the proper application of the law and services that are provided by the government and institutes to GBV survivors”.

“We want to reach a society that is almost free of violence and we cannot do it if we do not have a comprehensive implementation plan,” Khader said.

Khader added that “much of the work falls on the government who is in charge of implementing laws and regulations that protects its citizens”.

Meanwhile, Gender Justice Programme Manager at Oxfam in Jordan Audrey Barthalot also addressed the gathering by stating that there has been many positive developments in Jordan recently to tackle gender based violence.

“It makes it even more important to seize this momentum and better understand how implementation works in practice,” Barthalot said.

“It is necessary to have an approach that brings together different actors, different perspectives and different ways of working to tackle this issue while keeping at its core, the needs of survivor women and girls,” Barthalot added.

The participants, including experts in various GBV fields and activists from various governorates, are expected to come up with recommendations that will be forwarded to decision makers for consideration and implementation, according to SIGI’s President Inaam Asha.