Jordan will not extend Baqura, Al Ghamr lease — Foreign Ministry

AMMAN — Jordan will not extend or renew the lease of its lands in Baqura and Al Ghamr to Israel, said an official source from the Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

In October 2018, His Majesty King Abdullah announced the Kingdom's decision to terminate the annexes on the Baqura and Al Ghamr areas in the Peace Treaty with Israel at the end of their legal term in October 2019.

Under the 1994 Wadi Araba Peace Treaty with Israel, Jordan was required to make a decision this year to either renew or terminate an agreement that placed thousands of dunums in Baqura, in the northwestern corner of the Kingdom, and Al Ghamr, south of the Dead Sea, at the disposal of Israeli farmers.

The Kingdom decided to terminate the annexes and return the lands to Jordanian sovereignty.

The source added that Jordan has exercised its legal right as per the agreement not to renew the two annexes, pointing out that Jordan respects the legal obligation to observe rights arising from the Peace Treaty, which are restricted to respecting private ownership in Baqura and allowing farmers to harvest the crops that were planted before the termination of the annexes, in accordance with Jordanian law. 

The Peace Treaty recognised the private ownership 820 dunums of land in Baqura by Israelis, the source said, adding that Jordan will respect the ownership rights in accordance with Jordanian law and allow any Israeli citizen who proves ownership to enter the Kingdom via the official border after the issuance of a visa from the Jordanian embassy in Tel Aviv.

The 4235-dunum Al Ghamr lands are owned by the Jordanian Treasury, the source said, noting that under the peace agreement, Israel was given the right to use the lands — a right that is no longer valid as of Sunday, when termination of the two annexes went into effect.

As per of its legal obligations under the agreement, Jordan will allow Israeli farmers to harvest what was planted before the expiry date of the annexes, in accordance with Jordanian law. 

Jordan will grant visas, for one time only, to farmers to access the planted lands for the harvest of the crops, but without the exceptions previously granted in the two annexes.