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AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Saturday chaired a Cabinet meeting to discuss teachers’ strike after teachers said that their nationwide strike will go on until the government apologises to them for "humiliating treatment" and acknowledges their right to a 50-per cent pay raise.

Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) Spokesperson Nouriddin Nadim said that in addition to teachers’ demand for the raise they say was promised five years ago, a genuine dialogue to end the open strike, now in its third week, hinges on an apology for the way the government handled the sit-in they staged in Amman on September 5, during which, he claimed its members were subject to violations.

Speaking to journalists following a meeting of the association's council members, Nadim also requested that a fact-finding committee be formed to investigate the incidents that surrounded the teachers' protest.

Nadim described the government's proposal to the teachers, submitted on Thursday during a meeting between the two sides, as "vague", stressing that it tackles none of teachers' demands.

The proposal would set a "new model" to improve the living and financial conditions of teachers as well as develop the educational process, the government said.

The spokesperson confirmed that the strike, which started on September 8, will continue, and that "there is no way the JTA and its more than 100,000 members will give up their demands”.

For its part, the government held an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the issue, after which Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Jumana Ghunaimat told the press that “all dialogue channels are still open and will remain so”, noting that the government’s proposal still stands, and the way to address the situation is through dialogue.

Nadim said that “the problem with any dialogue is that it has to be always initiated by the government”, which, he claimed, has always ignored their repeated calls for dialogue.

“We invited the government for dialogue four times this year; on May 5, June 30, July 28 and during September, and we never received a ‘yes’,” he said.

“The government always showed a stubborn stance, refusing to listen to our demand of a 50-per cent pay raise, rather, focussing on their own demands,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said that teachers had to resort to halting work after their demands were ignored by consecutive governments over the past five years.

“We were also pushed to strike by the humiliating treatment protesting teachers received on September 5,” he added.

The open strike was announced after a sit-in in Amman on September 5, during which the JTA claimed violations were committed against its members.

The Public Security Department denied the allegations, but confirmed that 50 teachers were detained during the protest for “illegally forcing their way through to the government’s headquarters on Amman’s Fourth Circle”, which was the location designated by the JTA for the protest.

At the time, the government rejected the set location, allowing the teachers to hold their protest near Parliament in Abdali instead, but teachers were adamant on the original spot, but were blocked from reaching Fourth Circle.

“The ball is totally in the government’s court and students’ interest is in their hands. Apologise to teachers; recognise their demand and we can then sit at the table,” Nadim said.

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Friday urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the international community to take "effective and immediate" action to halt Israeli violations against Palestinians, which threaten international peace and security.

During a UN Security Council session in New York dubbed "the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question", Safadi warned that the two-state solution, which has international consensus, is threatened by Israel’s unilateral measures that breach the legislative decisions and escalate regional conflict and violence.

He also reiterated that the clear path to a comprehensive peace, which is Arabs' strategic choice, is through working towards the two-state solution, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel in peace and security, in adherence to international legislation and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Addressing the gathering, Safadi said that entrenching the occupation would not achieve security or stability, according to a ministry statement.

Settlements, land confiscation, home demolitions and the targetting of the UNRWA cannot bring about peace, he noted, adding that security cannot be achieved by annexing the occupied Golan Heights or annexing the occupied Palestinian territories of the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea region.

The UN Security Council plays a main role in enforcing international legitimacy resolutions, including 242, 338, 478 and 2334, as well as ensuring adherence to international law, which recognises all lands under Israeli control since 1967 as occupied lands, stipulating Israel’s respect for its obligations as an occupation force.

Safadi also exhorted the international community and the gathering to reject the announcement made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on annexing what constitutes a third of the occupied West Bank, in violation of international law. 

He also called on the international community to uphold its responsibility and stop any attempts that aim to tamper with the legal and historical status of Jerusalem’s holy sites, drawing attention to the disastrous repercussions of illegal settlements.

The top diplomat stressed the importance of rallying support to the UNRWA to enable it to continue playing its UN-mandated role of providing services for more than 5 million Palestinian refugees. 

Safadi also touched on the Kingdom’s stance on the holy city, noting that “Jerusalem, as reaffirmed by its custodian His Majesty King Abdullah, is sacred to Muslims and Christians, as it is to Jews, and is the key to the region’s peace and stability”.

Urging action to safeguard the holy city, Safadi said that the sovereignty over Jerusalem is Palestinian and custodianship over its holy sites is Hashemite, while protecting the holy city and its identity is a collective responsibility.

While in New York, Safadi on Saturday met with UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov over the latest developments in the Palestinian cause.

Also on Friday, Safadi met with Undersecretary General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov, during which they signed a memorandum of understanding between the Kingdom and the UN’s office on counterterrorism. 

During the meeting, Safadi stressed that the Kingdom will continue working as part of the Global Coalition Against Daesh and through the Aqaba meetings initiative to create a holistic approach to combat terrorism.

AMMAN — Jordan’s public debt increased to JD29.5086 billion by the end of July of this year, constituting 94.4 per cent of the estimated gross domestic product (GDP), in comparison with JD28.3083 billion for the same period in 2018, with the same percentage of estimated GDP, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry has attributed the increase to the debts of the National Electricity Power Company (NEPCO) and the Water Authority, which totalled JD7.4 billion.

According to the Finance Ministry’s monthly bulletin, issued on Saturday, the net public debt at the end of July of this year amounted to JD 28.2493 billion, constituting 90.3 per cent of the estimated GDP, compared with JD26.9006 billion or 89.7 per cent of GDP at the end of July 2018.

The external debt (budget and guaranteed) at the end of July 2019 dropped to reach JD12.505 billion, constituting 40 per cent of the estimated GDP, compared with JD12.088 billion or 40.3 per cent of GDP during the same period last year.

According to the monthly report, debt servicing reached JD85.8 million, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

As for the public internal debt (general and independent budgets), the amount hit JD15.744 billion for the January- July period, constituting 50.3 per cent of the estimated GDP, in comparison with JD14.318 billion or 49.4 per cent of the GDP in 2018. 

Meanwhile, Finance Ministry figures show that public revenues climbed by JD144.8 million or 3.5 per cent, by the end of July this year, as a result of an increase in both local revenues and foreign grants.

Overall public revenues for January-July period totalled JD4.3362 billion in comparison with JD4.1911 billion during the same period in 2018.

Domestic revenues increased by 130 million at the end of July of this year to reach JD4.1845 billion, compared with JD4.0543 billion last year for the same period of comparison, attributed to the rise in non-tax revenues by some JD177.1 million and the decrease in tax revenues by JD46.8 million.

The ministry figures also showed that expenditures increased by JD225 million to hit JD5.075 billion in comparison with JD4.850 billion in 2018 for the same period of comparison.

The ministry also revealed in its monthly financial developments report that the deficit after external grants amounted to about JD738.8 million, compared to a deficit of about JD658.8 million for the same comparison period in 2018.

The deficit before external grants totalled JD890.5 million, while it was JD795.9 million in 2018’s January-July period.

AMMAN — The European Union (EU), under the direction of the European Commission Directorate General for Health and Food Safety, organised a regional workshop on peste des petits ruminants in Amman last week, which concluded on Thursday. 

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious transboundary animal disease that can kill anywhere between 30 and 70 per cent of infected animals and has severe negative socio-economic impacts on the income of livestock farmers and, in particular, the livelihoods and food security of the most vulnerable rural communities, according to a statement issued by the EU on the workshop’s occasion.

Discovered in Côte d’Ivoire in 1942, the disease has since spread at an alarming rate, threatening the very existence of over 80 per cent of the world’s sheep and goat population in more than 70 countries, mostly throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East, the statement added.

The workshop was held in the framework of the 2018 EU decision to support the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, in their joint strategy for control and eradication of PPR, with the goal of eliminating the disease by 2030, according to the statement.

The event was part of the Better Training for Safer Food initiative and marked the end of a series of regional workshops on Sanitary and Phytosanitary issues held all over the world during 2018 and 2019, the statement said.

The training aimed at building the capacity for PPR prevention and control in the region while helping to create the grounds for a more effective cooperation between neighbouring countries, the statement said, adding that around 35 people from countries in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan attended the four-day workshop with most participants senior national officials from competent veterinary authorities involved in the fields covered by the workshop.

The workshop supported the participating countries towards reducing PPR outbreaks, which will subsequently contribute to preventing the disease from spreading further into neighbouring regions, including the EU, which ultimately will lead to better and safer food for both European and Middle-Eastern consumers, the statement concluded.

AMMAN — The Jordan Armed Forces - Arab Army (JAF) and its Russian counterpart on Thursday signed an agreement on technical cooperation in Moscow.

The accord aims to boost cooperation, joint work and exchange of expertise in various military fields between the two countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday.

JAF’s Planning, Organisation and Defence Resources Director Brig. Gen. Hilal Khawaldeh and Deputy Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Aleksey Frolkin signed the agreement.

AMMAN — Sunday marks the beginning of implementing procedures to legalise and rectify the status of illegal workers after the 2019 non-Jordanian work permits by-law was published in the Official Gazette, Labour Minister Nidal Bataineh said on Saturday.

Bataineh said that no work permits shall be issued for guest workers in professions that only accept Jordanians, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The minister said that no grace periods will be given to guest workers in the future and foreign workers should take advantage of the current grace period that ends on November 21.

As for those who are not willing to rectify their status, they can leave the Kingdom during this time without having to pay any fines, he explained.  

AMMAN — The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO), in cooperation with the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, on Saturday dispatched a humanitarian aid convoy to the Gaza Strip.

JHCO Assistant Secretary General Mohammad Kilani said that the organisation is continuing with its medical and in-kind assistance to Palestinians through the Jordan military field hospital, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Kilani noted that the three-truck convoy is laden with medical supplies, adding that the aid will be delivered to the Jordanian hospital in the coastal enclave.

AMMAN — Last week on Thursday, the artist collective shortfilmlivemusic performed a multimedia film concert titled “Survival Strategies for Cold Countries” at the Al Hussein Cultural Centre in Amman, within the framework of the European Film Festival, which centred on migration to and from Germany.

According to a statement issued by the German embassy in Amman, the artists used film scenes, live music and spoken word to create “a poetic tale of arrivals over the course of history”, “free of stereotypes and clichés”.

The artist collective comprised Germans, a Hungarian and a Syrian-Palestinian who performed the first piece in the Middle East, after several concerts in Germany, providing complete subtitling in German and Arabic, the statement said.

“Performing our film concert in Jordan has been an extraordinary experience. Both Germany and Jordan have experienced the arrival of a considerable number of migrants and refugees,” band leader Jan F. Kurth was quoted in the statement as saying after the concert.

“With our focus on the situation in Germany over time, our aim is to show how crucial the process of arrival is on an individual level. From what I have learned during my stay here, I understand that the hospitality of the Jordanian people is truly remarkable,” Kurth said.

The movie concert was preceded by a workshop on music, film and poetry in which the artists shared their techniques and experiences with Jordanian participants, the statement said.

Funding came from the German Federal Government, the EU Delegation to Jordan and the City Council of Freiburg, the statement said, adding that the event was organised by the German embassy in Amman along with support from EUNIC Jordan, the EU National Institutes for Culture, and in particular, the Goethe Institute in Amman.

According to the statement, the German classic silent movie from 1927 “Berlin — A Symphony of a Big City” will conclude the European Film Festival on Sunday, September 22, at 8pm at the Royal Film Commission and will be accompanied by the German electronic music duo Tronthaim.

AMMAN — The educational “Tales of Stones” included two summer camps for unprivileged children between ages six and 14 years for raising awareness about archaeology and local cultural heritage.

The camps were based in two areas, Hesban and Petra (Wadi Musa), targeting underprivileged communities living near the archaeological sites, Maria Elena Ronza of Sela for Vocational Training and Protection of Cultural Heritage, has told The Jordan Times.

 “The one in Hesban gathered 63 participants, boys and girls of different ages. In Petra we had 20 participants, of which there were 18 girls and two boys,” Ronza said.

In both communities, organisers received positive feedback, Ronza noted, adding that at the end of both summer camps, children performed a play at the archaeological site. Several families attended the theatrical production.

The summer camps were held by local teachers while the hands-on activities were implemented with Sela’s technicians’ assistance, Ronza said. She continued saying that there will be another camp in Amman in September.

“The children that are participating there will join the other two groups for a final performance at Amman Citadel on October 6, at 4pm. [The play marks] the opening occasion of Heritage Days in Jordan,” she explained.

“Tales of Stones” was implemented by the Italian cultural association Dante Alighieri Society in Amman, Sela for Vocational Training and Protection of Cultural Heritage and Laboratori Archeologici San Gallo, with the support of various local and international institutions. It was also financially supported by the Italian Embassy in Jordan, according to a statement issued by said embassy.

The project’s aim is to turn ancient history into “tools” of historical empathy, which means understanding the time’s conditions and the perspectives of historical personages, their decisions and behaviours, Ronza stated.

“Looking back at the history of Jordan and its relations with European civilisations, this project aims at enhancing the continuity of history into the present while [learning about] ... the resilience of local populations throughout the centuries,” she pointed out. 

She concluded, saying that the project combines tourism, culture and education by creating a new tool to present archaeological and heritage sites.

AMMAN — Mutaz Junaidi from Jordan has won first place in the weightlifting competition of the 2nd edition of the West Asia Championship.

The championship, held from September 15 to 22 in Jordan, at Hussein Youth City in Amman, was attended by HH Prince Mired, president of the Higher Council for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities, on its third day. 

The second edition included athletics, wheelchair basketball and bocce championships.

“The championship is hosted annually for west Asian countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, and Gulf countries, organised by the International Paralympic Committee and the West Asia Paralympics Federation,” Junaidi told The Jordan times on Saturday. 

He noted that the first edition was held in the UAE last year, while this edition was held in Jordan.

“I am very happy for having ranked first in the weightlifting competition after lifting 220 kilogrammes,” Junaidi said. 

Earlier in July this year, Junaidi placed third in his division in the Nur-Sultan 2019 World Para Powerlifting Championship held in Kazakhstan, after lifting 225 kilogrammes.

He said there was not much time between the two championships for training, and yet he was able to achieve his goal and win. 

“The feeling of winning and the joy of victory is always sweet, especially since this is the first time to perform in the Kingdom, which made it great to celebrate with our own families and friends,” he said, noting that the world and west Asia competitions have paved the way for him to compete in the next championship in Tokyo in 2020.