Jordanians Against “Deal of Shame”–MES EP.137

Thousands of Jordanians protested a major energy deal signed with Zionist Israel dubbing it as an “Agreement of Shame”. Demonstrators in Amman chanted ‘normalization is treason’ after largest-ever agreement between Israel and Jordan. Protests which were put together by opposition parties, tribal groups and unions criticized the United Arab Emirates-brokered agreement that will see the construction of a major solar power plant in the Hashemite Kingdom to generate electricity for the Zionist entity while a desalination plant established in Israel will send water to Jordan. Public and political movements in Jordan condemned and refused to mortgage vital and strategic sectors such as energy and water to a hostile entity that does not respect agreements or treaties. Tribes and youth movements in Jordan cautioned that continuing this normalization approach is rejected while they warned that this road will lead to catastrophic consequences and will eventually accumulate popular anger.

To discuss this issue with us from London is Robert Carter Researcher, Associate Producer and Journalist at London Broadcasting Partners.

On another note, there has been a noticeable relaxation of tensions in west Asia over the past year. Various antagonistic actors have resumed communications—though one hesitates to elevate them to the notion of “dialogue” just yet—suggesting that the region’s leaders are recalibrating after the heady, unpredictable years of Donald Trump’s presidency in the United States.

One of the most dynamic actors is the United Arab Emirates, which tried projecting itself militarily in various theaters for several years, but now says it is shifting to a greater emphasis on diplomacy seen in the latest rapprochement of its leaders with the Islamic Republic of Iran. A per many regional observers, this growing perception of no longer being able to fully rely on U.S. protection has led the Emirates to perform a delicate balancing act vis-à-vis its opponents over the past year.

To discuss this issue with us from Tehran is Dr. Mohamad Soltaninejad, academic at Tehran University and political commentator.