DEMONSTRATION IN SUPPORT OF JORDANIAN PRISONERS IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 008349

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL JO IS
SUBJECT: DEMONSTRATION IN SUPPORT OF JORDANIAN PRISONERS IN
ISRAEL

REF: AMMAN 3126

Classified By: CDA Daniel Rubinstein for reasons 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (SBU) Supporters of Jordanians imprisoned in Israel
staged a peaceful demonstration on October 19 in front of the
Prime Ministry. In addition to two dozen relatives of the
prisoners, five members of parliament (four of whom were from
the Islamic Action Front) participated, generating coverage
in all local daily newspapers. The demonstrators demanded
the GOJ intensify its efforts to secure the release of
Jordanian imprisoned in Israel. They also criticized the
government for "wasting" past opportunities - citing the
return of Jordan's ambassador to Israel earlier this year -
to pressure Israel for the return of all Jordanians in
Israeli prisons.


2. (C) COMMENT: Supporters of Jordanian prisoners in Israel
maintain steady, if usually low-grade, pressure on the GOJ.
While Israel freed nine Jordanians in April of this year
(reftel),at least 15 remain in Israeli jails, all of them
accused of direct involvement in attacks against Israelis
according to Post's understanding. Their families and the
many critics here of normalization with Israel - led by the
Islamists - have repeatedly and vocally denounced alleged GOJ
failure to press for their release, often making unfavorable
comparisons with the Israel-Hizballah deal that led to the
release in 2004 of several hundred Palestinian, Lebanese and
other Arab prisoners from Israeli jails. END COMMENT.
RUBINSTEIN