The spirit of resistance triggered by the revolts in Tunisia and Egypt earlier this year has reached Jordan, with militant protests this September at U.S. and Israeli embassies. Approximately 70 protesters burned U.S. and Israeli flags at the U.S. embassy in Amman and demanded that the embassy be closed. They were responding to the Wikileaks release of diplomatic cables that indicated possible covert U.S. plans to move Palestinians to Jordan.
About 300 protesters were blocked from the Israeli embassy by riot police, preventing a recurrence of the demonstration in Cairo, in which protesters stormed the Israeli embassy. The protesters denounced their country’s peace treaty with Israel and called for the closure of the embassy. Jordan and Egypt, both long-time client states serving U.S. interests, are the only Arab countries that have peace treaties with Israel, but Egypt’s relationship is now in question following the toppling of the Mubarak regime.
