25 MPs urge freezing of fellow deputy's membership over 'ties with Israel'

AMMAN — Twenty-five MPs on Tuesday called for freezing the membership of their colleague Mohammad Dawaimeh (Amman, 2nd District) over his "frequent" visits to Tel Aviv and meetings with Israeli leaders.

The lawmakers' call came after they obtained an official letter by Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh to Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour informing him of a 10-minute meeting Dawaimeh made with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu.

In the official letter, a copy of which was seen by The Jordan Times, Judeh said he was informed by Amman's ambassador to Tel Aviv about the meeting Dawaimeh held with Netenyahu, and another one he was to hold with Israeli President Shimon Peres.

The date of the letter is April 31, 2013.

In their memorandum, the 25 lawmakers expressed rejection of Dawaimeh's visit, calling for freezing of his membership and depriving him of his privileges and allocations. 

However, the deputy denied that he made any meetings with Israeli officials, challenging the authenticity of the released document.

In phone interview with The Jordan Times, Dawaimeh cast doubt over the timing of the letter's release, saying "the whole fuss was over three years ago. Why now?"

"I never informed our ambassador in Tel Aviv of anything. It is all fabricated," he said. 

Local media websites reported that Dawaimeh visited occupied Jerusalem on April 16, 2013 to attend a ceremony held by Peres to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel on Palestinian lands, known to Arabs as Nakbeh (catastrophe).

The visit triggered anger among his fellow deputies at the time, with over 60 lawmakers submitting a memo to the Lower House Permanent Office demanding his resignation.