US embassy cable - 05AMMAN1137

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 001137 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KISL, KPAL, IS, JO 
SUBJECT: INITIAL REACTION TO RETURN OF AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 1099 
 
     B. AMMAN 1094 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale for Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
1.  (U) Following the Israeli-Palestinian summit in Sharm 
al-Sheikh, major Jordanian dailies on January 9 led with 
generally upbeat headlines on the meeting and highlighted 
King Abdullah's supporting role (ref a).  Scant attention was 
paid, however, to the announcement of the return of a 
Jordanian ambassador to Israel.  Leading editorial writers 
briefly noted the diplomatic move in the context of summit 
events but have so far offered little direct comment on the 
issue. 
 
2.  (U) Critics of normalization with Israel did not let the 
announcement pass unnoticed.  Secretary-General of the 
Islamic Action Front (IAF) Hamza Mansour publicly denounced 
the return of Jordan's ambassador, saying that it ignored 
"Israeli crimes" and constituted a "free gift" to Israel 
without receiving anything in return.  A self-described 
spokesman for families of Jordanians imprisoned in Israel 
stated that family members were "shocked" by the announcement 
and that they condemned the GOJ's action (until the Sharm 
al-Sheikh summit, the Jordanian government's public position 
had been that the return of an ambassador was linked to the 
return of some Jordanian prisoners held in Israel).  The 
coordinating committee of opposition political parties 
criticized the decision as premature and unwarranted, 
providing political gains for Israel without any benefit for 
Palestinians or Jordanians.  Jamil Abu Bakr of the Jordanian 
Muslim Brotherhood was quoted by the Associated Press as 
rejecting any ties with the Israeli government and claiming 
that "Sharon's hands and teeth are dripping with the blood of 
the Palestinian people." 
 
3.  (C) Several contacts told emboffs that they had expected 
the GOJ announcement.  Former member of Parliament and 
Jordanian-Palestinian community leader Hamadeh Faraneh said 
he believed that Jordan was "looking for an excuse" to comply 
with Israeli requests for returning its ambassador and that 
the summit provided "the perfect cover," particularly since 
the Palestinians did not offer any objections.  Ghazi Al 
Saadi, Jordanian-Palestinian journalist and head of Al-Jalil 
publishing house, downplayed the GOJ's decision, saying that 
it was a political statement without any real impact since 
communications between the GOJ and GOI had continued 
uninterrupted over the last several years.  Saadi said he had 
earlier told an interviewer from an Israeli radio station 
that he hoped Israel would respond and "show its good 
intentions" by freeing Jordanian prisoners.  Former 
government minister and current president of Mu'tah 
University, Dr. Suleiman Arabiyat, echoed the more positive 
comments of some East Banker contacts in supporting the GOJ 
announcement and expressing hope that it would strengthen 
Jordanian influence in the peace process. 
HALE