Following their failure to meet yesterday at the Allenby Bridge and either work out their differences or beat MK Oren Hazan up, Israel’s Channel 2 set up a phone call later in the day between Israeli MK Oren Hazan and Jordanian MP Yahya al-Saud, with Channel 2 reporter Ohad Chamo acting as intermediary and translator.
Their personal fight began after the terror attack in the Israeli embassy in Amman, in which Israeli security guard Ziv Moyal was wounded by a Jordanian terrorist, and a Jordanian civilian and the terrorist were killed by Moyal. The Jordanian government then held the Israeli embassy personnel hostage and wouldn’t let them leave.
MK Hazan tweeted:
“It seems that our neighbors east of the Jordan River, those who drink our water and whose backside we guard day and night, need some re-education. It starts to feel like Shalom and not Le’hitraot (Hebrew for Good bye and let’s not meet again).”
נראה ששכנינו ממזרח לירדן, אלה שאנו משקים במים ושומרים להם על הישבן יומם ולילה, צריכים קצת חינוך מחדש.
זה מתחיל להרגיש כמו שלום ולא להתראות..— אורן חזן (@oren_haz) July 23, 2017
The Jordanians, ignoring that once again their own countryman attacked an Israeli in a terror attack, took offense that Hazan dared remind them they are reliant on Israel for water and survival.
Jordanian MP Yahya al-Saud invited Hazon to the Allenby bridge, which links Jordan and Israel, so he could beat Hazan up. Hazan took him up on the offer in order to talk to him, but as Hazan arrived, Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered him to leave and not cause an even bigger international incident with Jordan.
As the phone conversation began between the two, Al-Saud demanded that Hazan first apologize to the Jordanian people, and only then would he agree to speak with him.
Hazan responded that he is, “interested in peace, and at the end of the day, he [al-Saud] needs to remember that the interest of the Jordanians is to maintain good relations with Israel, and the interest of Israel is to maintain good relations with Jordan.”
Al-Saud angrily responded, “Are we talking about peace? First of all, talk about that he insulted the Jordanian people. And his statements did not befit an honorable person. If he wants to continue this conversation, then he has to apologize. If he doesn’t apologize I will hang up. I offer to meet him wherever he chooses [to fight].”
Hazan then switched to English and said, “Yahya, listen to me one second.”
Al-Saud interrupted Haza and responded in Arabic, “You smarty, I won’t respond to anything said in English.”
The Channel 2 reporter then interrupted and asks Al-Saud, “Were you really going to the border crossing to fight with him [Hazan]? To hit him?”
“Yes. I want to fight him. Yes,” Al-Saud responded, “Listen, you haven’t answered me, does he want to apologize to the Jordanian people or not? Only that way will I continue the conversation, him and me.”
Hazan continued in Hebrew, “We are talking in diplomatic language. We have a lot of respect [for Jordan], but they [Jordan] also has to have respect that there is a Jewish state here in the Land of Israel.”
Unfortunately, Hazan’s statement was not translated into Arabic.
Al-Saud interrupted again, “I’ve said it three times already. For the fourth time, one word, if he apologizes I will continue this conversation with him. If not then he can go to hell.”
The translator, instead of translating what Hazan just said about mutual respect, simply told Al-Saud that Hazan is not apologizing.
“He’s not apologizing! [translator confirms] If he’s not apologizing then he can go to hell.”
Hazan who is not part of this conversation, asked, “What did he say?”
“Go to hell, you SOB,” al-Saud continued ranting, “Tell him, you’re a criminal. I won’t continue this conversation if you won’t apologize to the Jordanian people. You started this fight, and don’t make yourself into this ‘peace dove’. Yalla, go to hell.”
The translator explained to Hazan that al-Saud is angry Hazan won’t apologize and he hung up the phone.
Hazan stated, “Then he should continue to be angry, and drink some cold water [to cool down]. If we had met, it would have ended with a hug and a selfie.”
Al-Saud has invited Hazan to get on a plane and meet him for a fistfight in any other country.
Welcome to the Middle East.