Thousands of Jordanians Protest Water-for-Power Deal With Israel, UAE

Thousands of Jordanians protested against a tripartite deal with Israel and the United Arab Emirates that would see Israel trade desalinated water for solar energy generated in Jordan by a solar plant built by the UAE. The deal was signed last week. The protest came on Friday in the capital, Jordan, after noon prayers.

Even though Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994, many Jordanians oppose further normalization with the Jewish state. The water-for-power deal comes on the heels of the Abraham Accords, signed last year, which normalized relations between Israel and the UAE, as well as three other Arab and African nations.

Prior to Friday’s demonstration against the deal, demonstrations took place last week on several university campuses throughout Jordan.

The project is contingent on a feasibility study.