Jordan’s Information Minister Taleb Rifai stressed on Wednesday that Jordan rejects the settlement of Palestinian refugees on its territories and supports the creation of a Palestinian state by September 13th, reported the Jordan Times daily.
“Jordan adamantly rejects that the issue of refugees be solved at its expense,” Rifai told reporters.
The Kingdom, he noted, is home to nearly 1.5 million refugees. “They are full Jordanian citizens who enjoy the right to return,” to their homeland.
“We constantly call for the refugees' right to return and compensation, being a humanitarian and historic right,” he added.
Jordan, home to 41 percent of the overall UNRWA-registered refugees, estimated now at 3.5 million, has a direct interest in the outcome of the final status negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, said the daily.
He added that Jordan will “shoulder its historic responsibility in supervising the holy shrines in Jerusalem, until such time as the Palestinian National Authority assumes full responsibility over the Holy City and its Islamic shrines.”
Rifai fell short of criticizing US President Bill Clinton's remarks last week about his administration's intention to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by the end of the year.
“Such an announcement at this stage will not contribute to efforts exerted in dealing with such a thorny issue,” he told the press.
“The issue of Jerusalem is very complex, sensitive and of great importance to all parties,” he said. “Therefore, any statements or measures taken down this lane will further exacerbate this complex issue.” – Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
