US embassy cable - 05AMMAN8349

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