Echoes of Jordan’s unwavering solidarity with Palestine reverberate at border

AMMAN — Thousands of Jordanians gathered in Karameh, a town in central Jordan near the King Hussein Bridge border crossing, on Saturday for the second day in a row, voicing solidarity with Palestinians and deploring the Israeli aggression on Gaza and occupied Palestinian territories.

The protesters expressed their frustration at the ongoing brutal attacks by Israel in Gaza as well as the occupation forces’ violations at Al Aqsa Mosque and in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in occupied Jerusalem. They also emphasised their unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The protesters urged the international community and the UN Security Council to fulfill their obligations and bring an end to the Israeli aggression.

During the protests, they called on the government to shut down the Israeli embassy in Amman and annul the peace treaty with Israel.

Qusai Damra, a 29-year-old Jordanian who participated in the march towards the border, said that “it is his duty to stand in solidarity with his Palestinian brothers and sisters”.

“I immediately drove my car to Shouneh [in the Jordan Valley]. I thought this is the best way to support Palestine,” Damra said.

“I felt proud, powerful and liberated. This is the first time that a protest has been carried out in such large numbers. We were like a family. I have never felt so united in my life,” Damra told The Jordan Times on Saturday.

Ammar Aljundi, a 26-year-old Jordanian who took part in the march, said that all the protests in Amman and the march to the border help Palestinians stay strong during these hard times.

“We wanted to show our Palestinian brothers and sisters that we are with them even from afar. It was a peaceful march and the gendarmerie was supportive too,” Aljundi told The Jordan Times.

Aljundi stressed that the most important demand of the Jordanian people is to expel the Israeli envoy from Jordan and shut down the Israeli embassy.

“These movements in Jordan are sending a message not only to Palestinians but also to the whole world that Jordanians have not forgotten and will never forget Palestine as it is the most important cause for Jordanians,” Aljundi continued.

Ehab Gharably, a 25-year-old Jordanian medical student, said he decided to participate in the march “after a harsh night where Palestinians in Gaza spent under the bombing and terrorism of the occupation”, he said.

“We took part in the march so that our people in Gaza, the West Bank and the occupied Palestinian territories see that we are on their side and support them with all the means available to us. Jordan and Palestine will remain united,” Gharably told The Jordan Times.

“Our people in Gaza are being terrorised by the Israeli occupation forces and are being subjected to war crimes. We demand that the international community, all human rights organisations and the UN intervene to stop Israeli crimes in Palestine, especially at Al Aqsa Mosque,” Gharably added.

Gharably expressed hopes that the government and decision-makers would listen to the people’s voices and respond to their demands.

Also on Saturday, activists and members of political parties held a sit-in in front of the Kalouti Mosque near the Israeli embassy in Amman in solidarity with  Jerusalem and Gaza.

The protestors denounced Israel’s brutal attacks on Gaza and the occupation force’s attacks on the residents of Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.

The participants called on Arab and Muslim countries to support the Kingdom’s efforts to bring an end to the Israeli aggression, stressing Jordan’s unwavering stance towards Palestinian cause under the Hashemite leadership, Petra reported.

The protest coincided with the 73rd anniversary of Nakbeh (the catastrophe).

A protest in solidarity with Palestinians was also held in front of Al Husseini Mosque in downtown after Friday prayer.