Lower House finalising law preventing displacement of Palestinians – lawmaker

AMMAN — Head of the Lower House’s Palestine Committee Sulaiman Saud has said that the Chamber is currently drafting a law on preventing the displacement of Palestinians to Jordan.

He added that the law, currently at the Lower Chamber’s General Secretariat, will be implemented “regardless of the cost" once it passes all constitutional stages.

Speaking to Al Mamlaka TV, Saud noted that the law will be deliberated and passed in the Lower House, then forwarded to the Senate, and finally to His Majesty King Abdullah for ratification before reaching the government, which will then be legally obliged to implement it. 

He said that the approval process for the law “would not take long”, noting that the timeline depends on the observations, ideas, and amendments suggested by MPs.

Saud said that the importance of the proposed law lies in its alignment with national principles to prevent the displacement of Palestinians, stressing that "Jordanians stand united behind His Majesty, as was clearly evident in the protests that took place across all governorates."

The lawmaker also indicated that a House session is likely to be held "soon" to support national positions rejecting the displacement of Palestinians, pointing out that all recent sessions have discussed the Palestinian cause, national security and preserving the Jordanian identity.

On Wednesday, several MPs proposed a draft law to prevent the displacement of Palestinians to Jordan following remarks by US President Donald Trump regarding his country's control over the Gaza Strip after the resettlement of Palestinians elsewhere.

According to the Chamber’s proposal, the law aims to protect national unity and reaffirm Jordan's sovereignty in line with all provisions of the Constitution.

It also reflects the “official and popular rejection of any attempt to make Jordan an alternative homeland for Palestinians, underscoring that "Jordan is for Jordanians, and Palestine is for Palestinians," and that the Palestinian people alone have the right to determine their fate.