Jordan's King Abdullah has appointed a new ambassador to Israel, filling a post that has been vacant for two years, officials have said.Walid Obeidat was sworn in by the king at a brief ceremony late on Monday.
Jordan's ambassador was not replaced in 2010 when his term expired, a move seen as a sign of frustration at the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Last week, Mr Obeidat was threatened by leaders of his tribe that he would be disowned if he accepted the post.
Unconfirmed media reports said they offered to nominate him as a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections if he turned down the diplomatic appointment, and also that a wealthy member of the tribe promised him 5m Jordanian dinars ($7m; £4.4m).
"This tribe was and will remain loyal to its nation and will not reconcile with its enemies, in order to liberate all Palestinian land," a statement said.
"This tribe was among the first to warn against the dangers of the Zionist project in the 1920s," it added.
There was no immediate reaction from the tribe on Tuesday.
Jordan fought alongside other neighbouring Arab states in a series of military conflicts against Israel between 1948 and 1973, but in 1994 the two countries signed a peace treaty.
Mr Obeidat will present his credentials to Israeli President Shimon Perez in Jerusalem next week, according to the Jordanian embassy.
No comments:
Post a Comment