US embassy cable - 04AMMAN4629

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004629 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, ASEC, IS, KPAL, JO 
SUBJECT: INTERIOR MINISTER TAKES JORDAN'S ANTI-NORMALIZERS 
TO TASK 
 
REF: AMMAN 4555 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b)(d) 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.  (C)  Interior Minister Habashneh has strongly chastised 
Jordan's professional associations for resurrecting the 
previously banned "anti-normalization" committee that 
advocates ending Jordan's peace treaty with Israel. 
Habashneh also slammed the associations for attempting to 
enlist Lebanese Hizballah's assistance in securing the 
release of Jordanian prisoners from Israel.  The reprimand 
comes against a backdrop of high anti-Israel (and anti-U.S.) 
sentiment in Jordan (ref).  Repeated public demands by the 
professional associations and Islamic opposition to cease 
diplomatic relations with Israel have had little practical 
impact, and popular demonstrations have had relatively small 
turnouts.  Apathy or a fear of retaliation from the security 
services (or a mix of both) seems to be holding people back, 
feelings that probably will intensify after Habashneh's 
public tongue-lashing.  The anti-normalizers' outreach to 
Hizballah appears to have crossed a red line with the GOJ. 
End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
INTERIOR MINISTER CHASTISES PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
2.  (U)  In an unusual move, Interior Minister Samir 
Habashneh called a meeting on May 26 with members of the 
Professional Association Council (composed of the heads of 
Jordan's 14 professional associations) to chastise "legal and 
constitutional violations" related to the activities of the 
Council's anti-normalization committee.  The GOJ banned the 
anti-normalization committee three years ago after it 
published lists of individuals and businesses suspected of 
having ties to Israel, but it has quietly resumed activities 
in the past several months. 
 
3.  (U)  Habashneh accused the committee of acting "as if it 
was the sole trusted guardian of the interests of the country 
and its citizens," according to local press reports.  In a 
reference to the controversial "black lists," Habashneh said 
the group is not entitled to label people as patriots or 
non-patriots at its convenience. 
 
4.  (U)  He demanded that these institutions "post the 
national flag on their headquarters and decorate the walls of 
their offices with photos of the country's leader."  His 
strongly worded message followed a directive from Prime 
Minister Faisal al-Fayez on June 1 to all official and public 
institutions, civil society organizations, political parties, 
professional and trade unions, and clubs to hang portraits of 
King Abdullah and the late King Hussein in all offices. 
(Note: Most GOJ buildings, businesses, schools, and NGOs in 
Jordan already implement this practice.) 
 
5.  (C)  Referring to the professional associations recent 
efforts to enlist Lebanese Hizballah's assistance in 
negotiating the release of Jordanian prisoners in Israeli 
custody, Habashneh said the government is the "only party 
concerned with this issue, and is exerting intensive efforts 
to security their release."  On May 31, FonMin Muasher 
informed the Public Freedoms and Citizen's Rights Committee 
in Parliament that an MFA delegation would soon travel to 
Israel to deal with the prisoner issue. 
 
-------------------------- 
ANTI-NORMALIZERS BACK DOWN 
-------------------------- 
 
6.  (U)  In response to Habashneh's reprimand, the Council 
members during the meeting promised that the 
anti-normalization committee would no longer publish "black 
lists," and that the Jordanian flag will always be hoisted 
above their offices, according to press reports.  They 
assured the minister that their organizations were committed 
to the stability and security of the country. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
ANTI-ISRAEL RHETORIC HAS LITTLE REAL IMPACT, SO FAR 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
7.  (U)  The resurrection of the anti-normalization committee 
and a campaign to collect one million signatures calling for 
the abrogation of the Jordan-Israel peace treaty come against 
the backdrop of growing public anger at Israel for its 
heavy-handed tactics in the West Bank and Gaza (and at the 
U.S. for not doing more to rein in Israel).  The professional 
associations and the Islamic Action Front have led the public 
charge against Jordan's peace treaty with Israel and 
spearheaded most rallies, but their efforts have had little 
practical impact.  Indeed, the rallies seem to be attracting 
fewer participants and their public statements are starting 
to sound like a broken record.  Whereas protests after Sheikh 
Yassin's assassination drew thousands, demonstrations against 
the recent Rafah incursion drew small numbers of worshippers 
to a sit-in protest on May 21.  Approximately 1,000 marched 
on May 15 marking 56th anniversary of the creation of the 
state of Israel. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
8.  (C)  Until now, the GOJ seemed content to monitor but not 
interfere with the anti-normalizers' activity.  However, 
their outreach to Hizballah appears to have crossed a red 
line with the GOJ, and probably was the main impetus for 
Habashneh's public rebuke.  The anti-normalizers' message 
against Israel resonates with a significant portion of 
Jordan's population, but Habashneh's warning on this issue 
will help keep a lid on public anti-Israeli activism, at 
least in the near term. 
 
Visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman or access the site 
through the State Department's SIPRNET home page. 
GNEHM