LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT DEBATES COOPERATION WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004953 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2014 TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL KPAL IS JO KHUM SUBJECT: LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT DEBATES COOPERATION WITH ISRAEL ON HUMAN RIGHTS REF: A. AMMAN 03348 ¶B. 03 AMMAN 07909 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires David Hale for Reasons 1.5 (b),(d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) The Lower House of Parliament tentatively approved an amendment to a human rights law which bans the National Center for Human Rights from cooperating with organizations belonging to "the Jewish entity and those who support it." Islamist MPs overcame an earlier committee defeat of the amendment by garnering support on the Lower House floor from an influential secular MP who is aspiring to the Speakership. Others backed the amendment from fear of being labeled "pro-Israel" or out of dismay over the stalemate on Jordanian prisoners in Israeli jails. The Finance Minister told Charge the government expects to have majority support in the Lower House to overturn the amendment next week, without recourse to the Senate. Should the amended law pass, however, the Senate can be expected to reject it. This incident demonstrates how the Islamists, despite their limited public backing and small numbers in Parliament, are still able to promote their agenda under the right circumstances. End Summary. -------------- ISLAMISTS HIJACK HUMAN RIGHTS LAW -------------- ¶2. (U) During the first week of the Lower House's "extraordinary" session, which convened June 5, MPs began the arduous task of deliberating 64 laws specified by royal decree -- 42 provisional laws promulgated in the two-year absence of Parliament and 22 new laws proposed by the GOJ. One of the first items for review was a 2002 provisional law establishing the National Center for Human Rights and mandating the teaching of human rights principles in the educational system. Prior to open debate in the Lower House, the Freedom and Citizens' Rights Committee had reviewed the law and proposed a few minor changes to it. ¶3. (U) When the law reached the Lower House floor, however, members of the Islamic Action Front (IAF) strongly pushed for two additional amendments. The first prohibited the Center from exchanging information/expertise or otherwise cooperating with any human rights organization that belongs to "the Jewish entity and those who support it." The second called for human rights education to incorporate a focus on Islam's perspective on human rights. After several lively exchanges, the IAF managed on June 9 to muster a majority of votes, including those of current MP and former Prime Minister Abdur Rawabdeh and his supporters, to approve both amendments. -------------- SHREWD POLITICS -------------- ¶4. (C) PolOff met June 15 with MP Jamal Al-Dmour (East Banker - Kerak),Chairman of the Freedom and Citizens' Rights Committee, to get his readout on events surrounding the human rights law. Dmour explained that he was well acquainted with the IAF and its tactics in this matter as he "suffered" from having four IAF MPs on his committee. According to Dmour, the IAF was perturbed that the royal decree convening the extraordinary session failed to provide for an "unscheduled topics" agenda which, during regular sessions, the IAF used to grandstand and spark confrontation with other MPs and the government over current affairs (see ref a). Consequently, the IAF was now seeking to publicize and promote its agenda through amending social legislation. ¶5. (C) Dmour continued that the IAF had earlier tried but failed to get his committee to endorse its two amendments. The key to IAF success on the Lower House floor, he opined, was due to three things. First, Rawabdeh's need for Islamist votes for his upcoming bid to become Speaker (ref b); accordingly, Rawabdeh and his supporters embraced the IAF amendments and spoke out in favor of them. Second, Dmour stated that several MPs told him they voted for the amendments out of fear of being criticized publicly by Islamists and the press as "pro-Israel." Third, many MPs are very upset that there has been no movement on the release of Jordanian prisoners in Israel and suspect that they are being mistreated given perceived Israeli human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza. ¶6. (C) PolOff explained to Dmour how Lower House approval of the amendment banning cooperation with Israel was seen negatively in Washington and pointed out that the phrase "those who support (Israel)" could be interpreted as the United States. Dmour replied he was aware of how this amendment could sour Jordan-Israel and Jordan-U.S. relations and assured PolOff that the majority of MPs never intended to halt cooperation with the U.S. or American NGOs on human rights. Despite the June 9 vote, he and other progressive MPs are mounting a campaign to overturn the amendment targeting Israel before the entire law is approved by the Lower House. Even should they fail, Dmour was confident that the Senate would easily reject the IAF amendment. Foreign Minister Muasher's Office Director, Ali al-Ayad, told PolCouns separately June 15 that he was displeased by the amendment, but said the GOJ will work to have it reversed. The MFA, he stated, has already spoken to other ministries and some MPs to explain the negative impact of the language. The Finance Minister predicted to Charge that the government would gain majority support to drop the negative reference to Israel during Lower House debate the week of June 20. -------------- STILL IN PLAY -------------- ¶7. (C) The Lower House continued deliberations on the human rights law June 16 with several MPs speaking out firmly against the Islamist amendment on Israel. MP Ghlaeb Zu'bi (East Banker - Balqa) said, for example, that while he deplored "ugly" Israeli practices in the West Bank/Gaza, the amendment was inconsistent with Jordanian law and wholly inappropriate as "human rights are universal concepts that go beyond race, religion and nationality." Minister for Political Development & Political Affairs Mohammad Daoudieh told MPs that the amendment "harms Jordan's image abroad" and had already resulted in charges that Jordan was anti-Semitic. Still unsure if there were enough votes to undo the IAF amendment, Dmour exercised his right as relevant committee chairman to postpone a final vote on the entire law as amended until a later date. Several IAF MPs walked out in protest at the move. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (C) The flap over the human rights law demonstrates how the IAF can promote its anti-normalization agenda in the Lower House. By exploiting Rawabdeh's need for IAF support in the Speaker's race, and tapping into anti-Israel sentiment in the Jordanian street, the Islamists caught the government off guard and persuaded a majority of MPs to approve language that they might otherwise eschew under different circumstances. The controversial amendments, if ultimately approved by the Lower House, can be expected to be soundly rejected by the Senate. Visit Embassy Amman's classified website at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman or access the site through the State Department's SIPRNET home page. HALE