The Jordanian Foreign Ministry, known for frequently issuing statements condemning Israel, on Tuesday condemned the publication of historical maps depicting the Biblical Kingdom of Israel on official Israeli social media accounts. The ministry claimed that these maps encompass areas considered part of the “Palestinian territories,” as well as regions of Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.
Before we delve into this, the funniest and most embarrassing story of the day, I must remind our readers that the “Emirate of Transjordan,” formerly encompassing the territories of the Biblical Israelite tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, was established as a British protectorate on April 11, 1921, and remained as such until achieving formal independence as the Kingdom of Jordan in 1946. And, of course, Transjordan began as part of the Jewish homeland promised in the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917, and declared by the San Remo Conference of April 19, 1920.
Now back to the Jordanians and our Biblical maps.
According to a report by Jordan’s official news agency, Petra, Ahmad Safadi, Speaker of Jordan’s Lower House of Parliament, strongly condemned the publication of historical maps by official Israeli social media accounts, which depict parts of Jordan, the “occupied Palestinian territories,” Lebanon, and Syria as falling within Israeli boundaries.
Isn’t it time for the UN Security Council to condemn King David, who consolidated the first Israelite Empire back around the tenth century BCE?
During Wednesday’s parliamentary session, Safadi denounced the publication of those historic maps as a reflection of “criminal mentality and malicious ambitions” that cannot be overlooked or ignored.
He stressed that whether these maps were intended as a trial or represented “desperate dreams,” they would face resolute opposition from Jordan’s leadership, military, security forces, and citizens.
“Jordan will remain Arab, unwavering in the face of any cowardly ambitions under its victorious leadership,” Safadi asserted, praising the Foreign Ministry for its prompt rejection of what he called a provocative act.
He called for further actions to counter such inflammatory behavior, especially in light of the current regional tensions.
The Speaker revealed that Parliament would work with international parliamentary organizations to advocate for “Palestinian rights” and expose the “brutal occupation.”
He also urged the government to take strong diplomatic and legal measures through various channels.
Safadi concluded by reaffirming the Arab identity of Jordan, “Palestine,” Syria, and Lebanon, declaring that these nations would endure and that the occupation would eventually come to an end, no matter how long it might take.
Of course, the Safadi list of enduring nations are not nations at all but a conglomeration of tribes and ethnic groups who have been fighting one another since 1916, when Sykes and Picot divided the near-east using nothing more than a ruler and a well-sharpened pencil. Jordan, for one, has no Jordanians, only Bedouins (20%) and “Palestinians” (80%), and every once in a while, the former fires into a bunch of the latter to remind them who’s in charge.
“Those who stand for their cause and identity will triumph, while those who rely on deceit, occupation, and breaking promises will ultimately fail,” Safadi stated.
LET THEM DRINK SAND
On January 25, 2024, Israel’s Energy Ministry announced it was considering not extending the water agreement with Jordan, due to anti-Israeli statements heard from senior officials in the kingdom, led by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi.
According to the current water agreement, Israel transfers 100 million cubic meters of water to Jordan each year, instead of 50 million cubic meters of water as stipulated in the peace agreement between the two countries – in exchange for the production of electricity for Israel.
The double quota was created in response to the great water crisis in the Hashemite Kingdom. A final decision on the matter has not yet been made, and it depends on the development of Israeli relations with Jordan and how the Jordanians would express themselves regarding the war.
So far, it looks like a little bit of thirst should improve things tremendously.
