TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s overseas minister on Monday known as on Jordan to take motion to carry to justice a Jordanian lawmaker who was arrested in Israel for allegedly attempting to smuggle what seems to have been dozens of weapons into the West Financial institution.
International Minister Eli Cohen mentioned Israel was nonetheless investigating the incident, wherein the legislator, Imad Al-Adwan, is accused of making an attempt to herald weapons and gold illegally. Cohen known as it an “irresponsible, legal act” that can’t go unpunished
“This can be a very severe incident,” Cohen informed Israeli information outlet YNet. “The essential demand is that he’s delivered to justice and that he pay a worth.”
In an announcement, the lawmaker’s brother, Amer Al-Adwan, mentioned he was relying on Jordanian authorities to carry Imad dwelling.
Jordan and its neighbor Israel have had tense relations over latest years, regardless of a virtually 30-year-old peace treaty, and the lawmaker’s arrest threatened to additional pressure the ties.
Al-Adwan was arrested on Saturday at a crossing between the occupied West Financial institution and Jordan that Israel controls. It’s unclear the place he’s at the moment being held.
It was additionally not identified if talks are underway between the 2 international locations to handle the incident.
Footage aired by Israeli media confirmed the alleged weapons smuggled organized on a flooring, with dozens of handguns and rifles displayed. Cohen mentioned Israel had obtained intelligence of a smuggling try coming in from Jordan however was not anticipating to seek out arms.
The West Financial institution has seen a surge in violence over the previous yr. Israel says the realm has been flooded with unlawful weapons, together with weapons smuggled from neighboring Jordan.
Since Israel’s hard-line authorities took workplace late final yr, relations with Jordan have deteriorated over Israeli settlement development, violence within the West Financial institution and insurance policies over holy websites in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis. The ties have been at a nadir in 2017, when a safety guard on the Israeli embassy in Jordan shot and killed two Jordanians, alleging one attacked him with a screw driver. The Israeli guard and Israel’s then-ambassador got a hero’s welcome by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, infuriating Jordan.
Jordan managed the West Financial institution and east Jerusalem earlier than Israel captured the areas within the 1967 Mideast battle, however the kingdom retains custodianship of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and different Muslim holy websites within the Outdated Metropolis.
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Related Press author Omar Akour in Amman, Jordan, contributed to this report.