Pro-BDS Jordanians to protest new 'secret' Israeli gas shipments
Pro-BDS Jordanians to protest new 'secret' Israeli gas shipments
BDS activists will hold protests against decision to import $500 million worth of gas from Israel's Tamar gas field, which they believe does nothing to discourage Israel's occupation in Palestine.
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Protestors last gathered on 30/9/16 to protest against a $10bn gas deal with Israel [Anadolu]
Jordan has been receiving secret gas shipments from an Israeli gas field for the past two months via an American intermediary - a contract that BDS campaigners in Jordan are hoping to end.
The Jordanian National Campaign against the Gas Agreement with the Zionist Entity is to hold a large-scale protest against the shady agreement in the centre of Amman next Friday.
The Jordanian National Campaign against the Gas Agreement with the Zionist Entity is to hold a large-scale protest against the shady agreement in the centre of Amman next Friday.
"We think that this is a huge waste of taxpayers' money," Hisham Bustani, the campaign's director told The New Arab.
"We should not be be using this money to support Israeli terrorism. It should help people in poverty in this country."
The campaign also plans to hold a protest in front of the Arab Potash headquarters company - a Jordanian company involved in the deal - in Amman on Saturday.
"Arab Potash is 37% owned by the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Social Security," said Bustani.
"This is taxpayers' money and we think that spending it on gas we don't need is a total waste."
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The campaign also plans to hold a protest in front of the Arab Potash headquarters company - a Jordanian company involved in the deal - in Amman on Saturday. |  |
The protest is related to a $500 million agreement by two state-owned Jordanian companies, Arab Potash and Jordan Bromine, to buy gas from Israel's Tamar gas field.
The Jordanian companies will not be buying gas directly from any Israeli companies, as an American company, NBL: Eastern Mediterranean Marketing, is acting as a go-between.
Haaretz on Wednesday said Israel has already begun "quietly exporting natural gas to Jordan" since January, adding that all the sides involved opted to keep a low profile because of the political sensitivities in Jordan about doing business with Israel.
The gas deal is not connected to a separate $10 billion deal by state-owned National Electric Power Co (Nepco) to buy gas from Israel's Leviathan field.
Many protesters at the last demonstration in September campaigned against the idea of Jordanian money used to support the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Around half of Jordan's population come from Palestine, most coming during the 1967 war when Israel's occupation of the West Bank began.More In News
