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AMMAN — Israel is committed to Jordan’s water rights as stipulated in the Wadi Araba Peace Treaty the two sides signed in 1994, a senior official confirmed during Tuesday’s Lower House session.
In response to a question by MP Rula Hroub, Minister of Water and Irrigation Hazem Nasser said the potable water supplied to the Amman, Balqa and Zarqa governorates comes from Lake Tiberias, the same source Israel uses for its drinking water.
Hroub’s question to the government was on whether Israel has the right to divert water from the Jordan River under international law and the peace deal with Jordan, and also on the Israeli responsibility for the Dead Sea’s dramatic shrinkage.
Also during the session, Transport Minister Ayman Hatahet responded to a question by MP Abdul Jaleel Zyoud on the value of Royal Jordanian’s aircraft leasing agreements.
He explained that that the national carrier has four passenger planes and two cargo planes on lease, and has leased out 20 aircrafts for six to 12 years at a total cost of $829 million.
Unconvinced with the minister’s answer, Zyoud converted his question into an inquiry.
For his part, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani answered a question posed by Deputy Tareq Khouri who asked why the government does not shut down Web pages which, he said, ignite sedition.
Momani said that the government is keen on safeguarding freedom of expression, adding that the Press and Publication Department does not censor social media networks.
Noting that the level of freedom of expression in Jordan is high, something the government is keen on maintaining, he said the government has referred to the judiciary individuals who used the Internet to promote the deviant ideology of radical organisations.