Jordan: US embassy move to Jerusalem ‘red line’

Jordanian Information Minister Mohammed Momani warned that the US moving its diplomatic mission in Israel to Jerusalem would lead to “catastrophic” shockwaves in the region.

Momani asserted that moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would be a “red line” for the Amman government and could potentially “inflame the Islamic and Arab street” and serve as a “gift to extremists.”

He also promised to use all diplomatic measures possible to prevent the embassy move from happening, should US President-elect Donald Trump act on his pledge.

This is the first time Amman has publicly addressed the issue.

The US considers Jordan an important pro-Western ally in a politically unstable Middle East. The Hashemite Kingdom is a member of a US-led military coalition against Daesh.

Despite the fact that 70 per cent of Jordan’s inhabitants are Palestinian, the kingdom is one of a few Arab nations to openly maintain relations with Israel.

During the US presidential elections, Trump promised to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided capital” and made a controversial pledge to move the US embassy to the holy city, the eastern parts of which are claimed by the Palestinians as the capital of their desired state.