AMMAN, 7 March 2008 — Jordan’s lower house of Parliament yesterday voted to reject a proposal to allow the government to participate in a regional power grid project, in which Israel is also a part.
The motion, rejecting energy cooperation with Israel, was introduced late on Wednesday by deputies from the Islamic Action Front (IAF), Jordan’s largest political party. Forty-seven deputies out of 84 voted to endorse it in the 110-seat house.
“This is a political message to Israel that we, as people, do not want to deal with this entity because of its crimes against women and children in the occupied Arab lands and vicious plans in the region,” IAF deputy Suleiman Khalaf said.
The Article 4 of the draft electricity law lays the legal framework for the government to enter into electricity interconnectivity plans that may involve Egypt, Syria, Israel, Turkey and other countries.
Jordan is linked to Syria, Egypt and Turkey in an ambitious power grid scheme and has recently started supplying the West Bank city of Jericho with electricity.
There have been no plans for Israel’s involvement in the regional power grid, but Khalaf cited reports suggesting that both countries were planning future interconnectivity cooperation.
