Praise galore as Baqura, Al Ghamr return to Jordan's fold

AMMAN — Jordan, in retrieving the lands in Baqura and Al Ghamr from Israel on Sunday under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, marked a "historic success moment", as several political figures have expressed. 

Jordanians across the Kingdom welcomed the decision with many expressing their joy, pride and contentment on social media and farmers banking on the potential of making use of the returned fertile lands.

"Through the efforts of His Majesty King Abdullah on a regional and international level and the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the lands have been returned to Jordan's sovereignty, which is all in line with the peace treaty," Hashemite University Professor of Political Science Jamal Shalabi said on Sunday over the phone. 

As the Israeli occupation continuously tries to shirk its responsibilities, Jordan remains “on alert”, helping it to win this diplomatic victory, Shalabi said, describing it as both a Jordanian and an Arab achievement.

He highlighted the role of Jordanian citizens, who were constantly backing His Majesty in his efforts, showing solidarity and unity in many situations. 

Retired major general and strategic analyst, Adeeb Sarayreh, said that the Israeli occupation attempted to pressure Jordan into prolonging the deal for another six months under the pretext that they have crops that still need tending, but Jordan evaded this pressure, and His Majesty ensured that the annexes on the Baqura and Al Ghamr areas was terminated. 

“This achievement also coincides with bringing back the two Jordanians, Hiba Labadi and Abdulrahman Meri, after their release from Israeli administrative detention,” Sarayreh said.

This shows Jordan’s will to make the Israeli occupation shoulder its responsibilities through persistent demands, which Jordan will also employ in protecting Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, he added. 

In a statement he sent to The Jordan Times, MP Khalil Attieh said that having the lands back under the sovereignty of Jordan is a “joyous occasion”, achieved through the Hashemite leadership’s efforts.

The lease contract ends and the Jordanian flag now rises above Baqura and Al Ghamr thanks to the Jordanian leadership, the government, the people and, of course, Parliament’s stance that rejected any prolonging of the lease, the MP said.

Usually, Israel does not follow through on its agreements with the Arab world, and many had doubts whether the Israeli occupation would commit to the deal on the lands in Baqura and Al Ghamr, or attempt to work around the legal frameworks, political analyst and commentator Bader Madi said on Sunday. 

“Major powers in the world support Israel and do not attempt to stop it from its abusive stances towards the Arab world, yet nonetheless, Jordan through His Majesty, its government and diplomacy, was able to create a political and diplomatic breakthrough,” Madi said.

He added that this utilises the openness of the Kingdom to Western countries, especially the US, and leans on the respect His Majesty has garnered at international platforms to allow the government to face any violations or attempts to prolong the agreement, cornering Israel to commit to what was agreed upon in the legal framework of the 1994 Wadi Araba Peace Treaty.

The Jordanian diplomacy employed all its local, regional and international tools to achieve this historic triumph, Madi concluded.