FM criticises ‘seasonal interest’ in Palestinian issue, says war on Daesh ‘our war’

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Sunday noted that the Palestinian question is still not adequately tackled despite the large-scale suffering of the Palestinian people.

Speaking at a meeting with members of the Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee, Judeh said the Palestinian-Israeli conflict reached a deadlock last March. 

He criticised the seasonal interest in the conflict, noting that only after matters escalate into an Israeli war on Gaza, the international community takes note and holds a conference to rebuild the strip after the war.

Citing the frequency of this scenario — the Israeli wars on Gaza in 2008, 2012, 2014 — the country’s top diplomat said the destruction of Gaza and holding a conference to rebuild it “has become a joke”. 

During the meeting, the minister noted that His Majesty King Abdullah has repeatedly stated that Jordan’s fight against the Daesh terror group “is our war” and the country’s involvement in it is not in compliance with others’ beliefs, but with what best serves the Kingdom’s interest. 

Commenting on Syria’s claims that Jordan is training terrorists, Judeh stressed that “Jordan does not pay much attention to such redundant statements.” 

“Syrian leaders have made it habit to accuse Jordan of this, yet Jordan’s firm stance has been declared by His Majesty several times,” he added.

Judeh informed the head of the Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee, Deputy Bassam Manaseer that he received a phone call from US Secretary of State John Kerry, offering his condolences for the passing of the two American-Jordanian women, who were killed by their neighbour in North Carolina’s town of Chapel Hill.