JERUSALEM/AMMAN: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stopped an Israeli lawmaker from taking on a Jordanian counterpart in a fist-fight on Wednesday over a diplomatic crisis between the two neighbors.
The July 23 shooting to death of two Jordanians by an Israeli Embassy guard who said he was acting in self-defense has outraged Amman, stirred up pro-Palestinian sentiment in the kingdom and prompted US mediation efforts.
Oren Hazan, a member of Netanyahu’s rightist Likud party, had tweeted on the day of the shooting that Jordanians “who we keep supplied with water and whose butts we defend day and night” needed “re-education.”
His comments prompted a challenge from a similarly fiery lawmaker in Jordan. “Let him meet me, if he is a man,” Yahya Soud said on Twitter.
They were due to square off against each other on Wednesday morning on the border.
As the appointed time neared, both men posted images of themselves on social media driving to the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
But Hazan’s journey was cut short after Netanyahu’s office ordered him to turn around. A statement from the prime minister’s office did not say why Netanyahu had stopped the fight from proceeding. There was no immediate comment from Jordan.
Hazan said on Twitter he was disappointed the encounter had not taken place. Soud told reporters he had been “serious about going down to the bridge and busting this dirty man’s nose.” Netanyahu stepped in, Soud said, because Israelis “can’t face up to Jordanians.”
In 1994, Jordan became the second of only two Arab countries to make peace with Israel.
Netanyahu calls off fistfight between Israeli, Jordanian lawmakers
Netanyahu calls off fistfight between Israeli, Jordanian lawmakers
Pakistan urges dialogue on Iran in call with European Union’s vice president
- Ishaq Dar, Kaja Kallas discuss regional tensions as Pakistan stresses diplomacy
- Both officials also appreciate the ‘positive momentum’ in Pakistan-EU relations
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday emphasized the importance of dialogue and diplomacy while discussing the situation in Iran during a telephone call between Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the European Union’s Vice President Kaja Kallas, according to the foreign office.
The call came amid heightened regional tensions linked to unrest in Iran, as European governments intensify scrutiny of Tehran’s response to protests and assess broader security risks.
“DPM/FM reaffirmed the importance of sustained dialogue and engagement,” the foreign office said, adding that both sides agreed to remain in close contact.
The statement added that Dar and Kallas welcomed the “positive momentum” in Pakistan-EU relations and discussed ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation.
European governments have in recent days condemned Iran’s crackdown to quell the anti-government protests that broke out last month over economic hardship and escalated into widespread demonstrations.
On Friday, the European Union’s aviation regulator urged airlines to avoid Iranian airspace, citing heightened risks linked to weapons systems, air-defense activity and the potential for misidentification amid elevated regional tensions, according to a Reuters report.
Pakistan has consistently called for restraint, dialogue and political solutions in regional crises, positioning diplomacy as a means to prevent escalation and protect regional stability.
