King's decision on Baqoura, Ghamr serves higher national interests: FM
جهينة نيوز -Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Ayman Safadi on Monday said His Majesty King Abdullah II's decision to end the Peace Treaty annexes on Al Ghamr and Baqura and the imposition of full Jordanian sovereignty on those lands serves top Jordanian national interests.
Speaking to reporters, Safadi said Jordan had informed the Israeli government on October 21, 2018 of its unwillingness to renew the annexes, adding that there are some exceptions related to the two annexes, including respect for private property, which were approved under the 1994 Wadi Araba Peace Treaty.
He said the 850-dunum area at Baqoura is owned by Israeli nationals since 1928 while the Ghamr area is totally owned by the Jordanian state but was occupied between 1968 and 1970. The minister said the media reporting that those lands were leased to the Israeli side is totally inaccurate, explaining that the lands were put under a "right to use" item for 25 years only.
He pointed out that the number of people who had access to Baqoura in previous years ranged between 15-20 people, and fell to only 4 people in the past years, pointing out that the territory has been mainly used for agriculture.
The minister said Israeli farmers will now be allowed access to harvest their farms for a period not exceeding 4 months for once only and thereafter any land owner will have to enter via official crossing points and after gaining entry visas.
Prior to expiry of Baqoura and Ghmar annexes, Safadi noted, the Israeli government asked Jordan to negotiate over the issue and asked to extend the annexes, a request that the Kingdom turned down.
Safadi spoke about a Jordanian offer to buy land owned by Israeli citizens, but the offer was rejected by the Israeli side.
Regarding some legal opinions about not allowing non-Jordanian nationals to own property on the Jordanian border, Safadi said there was a consistent legal rule approved by the Court of Cassation that international conventions transcend domestic laws.
//Petra// AA
Speaking to reporters, Safadi said Jordan had informed the Israeli government on October 21, 2018 of its unwillingness to renew the annexes, adding that there are some exceptions related to the two annexes, including respect for private property, which were approved under the 1994 Wadi Araba Peace Treaty.
He said the 850-dunum area at Baqoura is owned by Israeli nationals since 1928 while the Ghamr area is totally owned by the Jordanian state but was occupied between 1968 and 1970. The minister said the media reporting that those lands were leased to the Israeli side is totally inaccurate, explaining that the lands were put under a "right to use" item for 25 years only.
He pointed out that the number of people who had access to Baqoura in previous years ranged between 15-20 people, and fell to only 4 people in the past years, pointing out that the territory has been mainly used for agriculture.
The minister said Israeli farmers will now be allowed access to harvest their farms for a period not exceeding 4 months for once only and thereafter any land owner will have to enter via official crossing points and after gaining entry visas.
Prior to expiry of Baqoura and Ghmar annexes, Safadi noted, the Israeli government asked Jordan to negotiate over the issue and asked to extend the annexes, a request that the Kingdom turned down.
Safadi spoke about a Jordanian offer to buy land owned by Israeli citizens, but the offer was rejected by the Israeli side.
Regarding some legal opinions about not allowing non-Jordanian nationals to own property on the Jordanian border, Safadi said there was a consistent legal rule approved by the Court of Cassation that international conventions transcend domestic laws.
//Petra// AA
تابعو جهينة نيوز على 
