Jordan Blames
Israel For Restricting Travel of Palestinians
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Most restrictions facing the travel of West Bank Palestinians to Jordan were solved, Abed Rabbo |
AMMAN,
July 29 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Jordan accused Monday,
July 29, Israel of restricting West Bank Palestinians from entering
the kingdom, while Palestinian Information Minister said that most
restrictions facing the travel of West Bank Palestinians to Jordan
were solved.
"The
Jordanian government is seriously working to provide the maximum
assistance to our Palestinian brothers who wish to visit Jordan,"
government spokesman Mohamad Adwan told Al-Dustour newspaper.
"Any
delay or restriction comes from the Israeli side," he said,
without elaborating.
Palestinian
labour minister Ghassan Khatib had told Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Sunday that information minister Yasser Abed Rabbo will soon visit
Amman to discuss the border restrictions.
"The
Jordanian procedure has handicapped many students who missed their
semester in Jordanian universities, and employees (of Jordanian
companies) have lost their jobs," Khatib said.
"We
have dispatched several envoys (to Jordan) without result. This time
we will talk seriously with the Jordanians, and maybe even with King
Abdullah, since this situation is very difficult," he said.
Jordan
imposed travel restrictions on West Bank Palestinians crossing into
its territory over the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge at the end of
March, to preempt any attempt by Israel to expel them.
These
measures coincided with the five-week Israeli offensive against the
West Bank launched at the end of March 2002.
Adwan
told Al-Dustour that earlier this month Jordan informed senior
Palestinian officials of the "facilities presented by
Jordan" to Palestinian travelers.
"We
give priority to Palestinian holders of yellow cards (Jordanian
nationality) and green cards (temporary passport) as well as to
students, patients, workers employed abroad and humanitarian
cases," Adwan said.
In
mid-July, Jordan began requiring bank guarantees of between 2,000 and
5,000 dinars (between 2,800 and 7,000 dollars) from West Bank
Palestinians arriving by land to ensure they do not overstay their
visit.
Meanwhile,
Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said Monday that
most restrictions facing the travel of West Bank Palestinians to
Jordan were solved.
"Several
aspects of the problem have been solved, what is left will be followed
up and solved too," Abed Rabbo told reporters in Amman after
talks with Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb.
Abed
Rabbo did not give details but said Jordan has "taken measures to
ease the passage (of Palestinians)", adding there would be daily
Jordanian-Palestinian contacts to see if any obstacles remain.
Abed
Rabbo said he handed Abu Ragheb a message from Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat to Jordan's King Abdullah II, who is due to meet in
Washington Thursday, August 1, with U.S. President George W. Bush for
talks on the Middle East.
"The
message highlights the worsening situation in the Palestinian
territories because of the (Israeli) occupation," Abed Rabbo
said.
The
number of Palestinians wishing to enter Jordan has increased with the
start of the summer holidays, when thousands of West Bank residents
travel to the kingdom to meet relatives working in the Gulf states.
Israel
controls the borders and crossing points on the West Bank and Gaza
Strip.
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