Jordan 'reconsidering Israel ties'
Protesters have called for diplomatic ties to be frozen and the Israeli ambassador expelled [EPA]
Jordan's prime minister has said his country may review its diplomatic ties with Israel in the wake of the offensive in Gaza.
"Jordan will look into all options, including reconsidering relations with Israel," Nader Dahabi told legislators on Sunday.
"There is no way we would remain silent when this threat affects the security of the entire region."
Jordan and Egypt are the only two Arab states to have normalised relations with Israel. Amman also has strong ties with the US.
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But with public criticism mounting, the government is facing pressure to rethink those diplomatic links.
Earlier thousands of students from universities across Jordan marched to the parliament in Amman demanding the freezing of diplomatic relations with Israel and the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador.
Jordan is home to nearly three million Palestinian refugees, the majority of whom have been naturalised as Jordanian citizens but who remain strongly attached to their homeland.
One female student protester told the Reuters news agency that "we'll continue taking to the streets, otherwise we'll be like Egypt that is doing nothing".
The protesters said they would stay on the streets until their demands were met.
Jordanians have held street protests and rallies nationwide since the Gaza offensive.
On Friday around 60,000 protesters, with some chanting "No Jewish embassy on Arab land", answered an opposition call for a show of support for Hamas.
Security forces have been bracing for violence but have largely allowed demonstrations to proceed.
Riot police did, however, fire teargas and make arrests as they pushed back hundreds of protesters marching on the Israeli embassy after Friday prayers.
Protesters have called for diplomatic ties to be frozen and the Israeli ambassador expelled [EPA]
Jordan's prime minister has said his country may review its diplomatic ties with Israel in the wake of the offensive in Gaza.
"Jordan will look into all options, including reconsidering relations with Israel," Nader Dahabi told legislators on Sunday.
"There is no way we would remain silent when this threat affects the security of the entire region."
Jordan and Egypt are the only two Arab states to have normalised relations with Israel. Amman also has strong ties with the US.
IN DEPTH
Latest news and analysis from Gaza and Israel
Al Jazeera Labs: Report on and track the war
Send us your views and eyewitness videos
Watch our coverage of the war on Gaza
But with public criticism mounting, the government is facing pressure to rethink those diplomatic links.
Earlier thousands of students from universities across Jordan marched to the parliament in Amman demanding the freezing of diplomatic relations with Israel and the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador.
Jordan is home to nearly three million Palestinian refugees, the majority of whom have been naturalised as Jordanian citizens but who remain strongly attached to their homeland.
One female student protester told the Reuters news agency that "we'll continue taking to the streets, otherwise we'll be like Egypt that is doing nothing".
The protesters said they would stay on the streets until their demands were met.
Jordanians have held street protests and rallies nationwide since the Gaza offensive.
On Friday around 60,000 protesters, with some chanting "No Jewish embassy on Arab land", answered an opposition call for a show of support for Hamas.
Security forces have been bracing for violence but have largely allowed demonstrations to proceed.
Riot police did, however, fire teargas and make arrests as they pushed back hundreds of protesters marching on the Israeli embassy after Friday prayers.
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