A decade of peace between Jordan and Israel is being marked modestly in both countries. Jordan is the second Arab state to forge a peace deal with Israel after Egypt set the historic precedent in 1979. Israel and Jordan signed the agreement on October 26,1994.
Officials from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of Israel’s relations with Jordan and said that Israel is working to promote their bilateral relations in economy, commerce, agriculture, water, environment, as well as in other fields.
Despite the declared good ties, Jordanian businessmen in touch with Israelis are reluctant to publicize their names for fear of enmity from extreme Islamic and Palestinian parties and some of them have been threatened.
“Israel views Jordan as an island of stability in the region and a significant partner in the efforts to achieve peace with its Middle East neighbors,” the ministry said.
However, relations soured between Israel and Jordan when violence broke out between Israelis and Palestinians in October 2000 and Jordan, similar to Egypt, recalled its ambassador to Israel as a protest measure.
Some Jordanians who oppose normalizing ties with Israel are marking the anniversary with a mass demonstration in Jordan’s capital, Amman, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.