 |
| Israel arrested a Jordanian member of parliament on charges of arms smuggling |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Jordan has stated that Israel has arrested a member of the Jordanian parliament for allegedly trying to smuggle weapons into occupied West Jordan.
According to Jordan's Ayman News Agency, a member of parliament named Emad Al-Adwan was detained at the Allenby Bridge crossing on Saturday night.
According to an unverified video circulating on Israeli social media, Israeli authorities claim to have found 12 machine guns and 270 different types of ammunition.
Israel has not commented on the issue and has clamped down on social media reporting.
Jordanian Foreign Ministry officials have said they are trying to resolve the issue "as soon as possible."
According to Israeli media, the Shin Bet security agency is trying to find out who the weapons were being sent to and whether the MP has done this before.
Jordan and Israel established diplomatic relations after signing a peace treaty in 1994. However, due to the clashes between the Israeli security forces and the Palestinians in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, the relations between the two countries have become strained. Jordan is also the custodian of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is located in Beit al-Muqdis (East Jerusalem), which is occupied by Israel. It is the largest mosque in Jerusalem with a capacity of thousands of worshippers.
More than half of Jordan's population is of Palestinian origin. Most Jordanians support the Palestinian struggle in occupied West Jordan. Protests erupt in Jordan whenever tensions between Israel and the Palestinians rise.
35-year-old Imad Al-Adwan, who was arrested by Israel, is a member of the Jordanian Parliament's Palestine Committee. A prominent Jordanian lawmaker, Khalil Atiya, who opposes Jordan's peace deal with Israel, says Israel's arrest of Imad al-Adwan has "damaged the dignity" of the Jordanian people.
The Al-Aqsa complex, located on top of a hill in Jerusalem, is the holiest site in Judaism and the third holiest site in Islam. Jews call it Temple Mount while Muslims call it Haram al-Sharif.