Foreign Minister Eli Cohen sent an official letter of protest to Jordan last week over the attacks on religious Israeli tourists entering the kingdom.
The letter follows a particularly serious incident that took place two weeks ago at the Yitzhak Rabin border crossing, north of Eilat. 150 ultra-Orthodox Jews were effectively imprisoned on the Jordanian side of the Rabin crossing for 48 hours. According to their testimonies, the Jordanian policemen even demanded that they cut off their wigs. The official argument presented by the Jordanians is that concealing Jewish symbols is intended to protect the security of Israelis.
Minister Eli Cohen, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Israel does not accept the Jordanian explanation. Following the incident, Foreign Minister Cohen sent a letter to the Jordanian embassy in Tel Aviv, expressing official protest against Jordanian conduct. He notes that this is not the first time that restrictions have been imposed on the entry of Jewish religious symbols into Jordan, which, by the way, harm those Israelis.
Jordanian border police have been making things difficult for religious Jews for years. Among other things, they oppose the introduction of kippahs, holy books, prayer shawls and tefillin, and also prohibit the entry of kosher food. Cohen says in the letter that Israel appreciates the Jordanian desire to maintain security, but that it is inconceivable that Jews will be prevented from entering Jordan or bringing in Jewish accessories. He calls on the Jordanians to cease this policy and suggests dialogue between the countries to solve the problem.
President Herzog meets with King Abdullah in Jordan, who condemned the recent attacks || Video: Omer Meron, Sound: Nir Scharf
"It is unacceptable for Israelis to be discriminated against at the border crossing into Jordan, and to be denied entry just because they are religious Jews," Cohen said. The peaceful relations between Israel and Jordan are important for both countries. We will work with the Jordanian embassy in Israel and with the Jordanian authorities to find a solution for thousands of Israelis who wish to visit Jordan, whose entry is denied only because they carry tefillin, prayer shawls and holy books. We are making great diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue of crossing to Jordan with prayer paraphernalia."
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