A special clause in the 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan allowed Israel to retain use of Naharayim in the Jordan Valley, along with the Tzofar enclave in the southern Arava desert, for 25 years, with the understanding that the lease would be renewed as a matter of routine.
Last year, amid domestic unrest in Jordan, King Abdullah II announced plans to end the lease. Despite efforts by the Israeli government, negotiations to guarantee continued access to the areas have been unsuccessful.
According to a Channel 13 report Thursday, National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat met earlier this week in Amman with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to discuss extending the lease on the border lands.
Citing Jordanian officials, the network reported Safadi suggested that instead of allowing continued access to those areas, Jordan would pay the Israeli farmers for the produce that remains in Naharayim and Tzofar.
Safadi clarified there would be no further agreements between the governments over the lands, but there could be deals between the farmers and Jordanian or Israeli firms, the report said.
The Jordanian foreign minister also reportedly protested to Ben-Shabbat over Israel’s treatment of Jordan.
“Not only you have domestic public opinion, I do too. It is very frustrating to us that you aren’t taking into consideration us or the constraints connected to our public opinion,” Safadi was quoted as saying. (Read More)
