Tensions caused by the East Jerusalem land issue eased when Israel suspended its confiscation order on 5/22, with King Hussein reinstating his ban on the antinormalization rally in Amman he had previously authorized. During the quarter, King Hussein met with PM Rabin (in the presence of German Chancellor Helmut Kohl) on 6/5 for the inauguration of a $450-m. German-financed water development project for the Yarmuk. On 6/22, FM Peres and Crown Prince Hassan met in Amman to discuss water, technical, and scientific cooperation; and, on 7/25, Crown Prince Hassan accompanied a joint Jordanian-Israeli relief mission to Bosnia.
Cooperation
Under the terms of the 10/ 26 treaty, the water pipeline from Lake Tiberias to Israel began operating on 6/ 20. On the other hand, the Red Sea-Dead Sea canal called for in the treaty was determined to be economically impractical in a feasibility study released 6/28 by the Israeli National and Economic Planning Authority.
Joint Jordanian-Israeli committees met as follows:
- Follow-up, on 6/19 in Elat, to review progress achieved by subcommittees, with emphasis on transportation.
- Trade, on 6/25-26 at the Dead Sea Hotel to finalize an agreement on exports and research and development. The accord, which was to be signed in late July, was delayed by Jordan until Israel makes further progress on other negotiating tracks.
- Security, on 6/26, to announce plans for a direct emergency phone line between air force commands. The air forces will also coordinate on flight security and joint search-and-rescue missions and will exchange periodic visits.
- At the private business level, a group representing the Aqaba Chamber of Commerce held talks on joint cooperation and exchanges of expertise on 6/11 with their counterparts in Elat. In Amman 7/18-20, 300 Jordanian and Israeli-Arabusinessmen held an executive meeting-attended by King Hussein, Crown Prince Hassan, and FM 'Abd al-Karim Kabariti-to reestablish trade links and define areas of cooperation (e.g., producing goods inJordan to Israeli specifications for export to Israel or third countries via Israel; sharing Israeli technology).
Legislation
On 6/8, Jordanian parliament opened an extraordinary session to address lifting the Israeli boycott and overturning three laws prohibiting dealings with Israelis. Despite heated and persistent opposition by some members of parliament, the bill was passed by the legal committee (17-3 on 6/20); the finance and judiciary committees; the lower house (51- 21 on 7/26); and the upper house (45-3 on 7/31). The 7/31 decision also included new legislation on "economic and neighborly cooperation" that would allow Israelis to buy Jordanian land if the Knesset passes legislation allowing Jordanians to buy land in Israel.
On 6/23, Israel removed Jordan from the absentees' property law, which stipulated that Jordanian property in Israel be put under state control. In August, however, Israel passed a law to prevent Palestinian refugees in Jordan from reclaiming the "absentee property." Jordanian Amb. to Israel Marwan Mu'asher protested that such decisions should be reached through negotiation, after the refugee talks have been held, not unilaterally by Israeli legislation.
On 6/23, Jordan refused an Israeli offer to employ Jordanian workers in Israel, saying more progress must first be made on other negotiating tracks.