Jordan parliament okays proposal to expel Israeli envoy

AMMAN, Jordan (AA) – The Jordanian parliament has approved a proposal to expel the Israeli ambassador as a mark of protest over offensive statements by the Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The Zionist minister had made derogatory statements denying the very existence of the Palestinian nation.

In a speech in Paris, Smotrich denied the existence of the Palestinian people, saying the Palestinians were “an invention” from the last century and that people like himself and his grandparents were the “real Palestinians.”

He also used a map of Israel during the speech which included sovereign Jordanian and Palestinian territory shown as part of “Greater Israel.”

In a statement, Parliament Speaker Ahmad al-Safadi called on the government “to take effective measures” over the use of a map of Israel that included sovereign Jordanian and Palestinian territory.

“This constitutes a violation of the peace treaty and international norms,” he added.

The proposal to expel Israeli Ambassador Eitan Surkis still needs to be approved by the government to be effective.