Protesters call for Jordanian PM to step down

Over 3,000 Jordanians have held a demonstration in Amman, demanding that the government cut its ties with Israel and close Tel Aviv's embassy in Amman. Jordanian young people, parliamentarians, and trade unionists attended the demonstration, which was held near the Israeli embassy on Friday, and called on the government to abrogate Jordan's treaties with Israel, including the Camp David and Oslo Accords. The protesters condemned the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and emphasized that Palestinian refugees in Jordan must have the right to return to their homeland. They also burned Israeli flags and chanted “No Zionist embassy on Jordanian land,” “Palestinian and Jordanian, one people not two,” “From Amman to Al-Khalil (Hebron), we reject the alternative homeland scheme,” and “The people want to liberate Palestine.” Young people from the May 15th Movement and the Coalition of the Third Palestinian Intifada Youth and young members of a number of opposition political parties attended the demonstration, the Kuwait News Agency reported Opposition parties also marched in the capital and other cities, calling on the government to tackle corruption and enact political and economic reforms. The protesters also called for the resignation of Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit's government and the dissolution of the lower house of parliament, saying Bakhit has no intention to implement reforms.