- Title: Jordanian lawmaker threatens Israeli counterpart
- Date: 2nd August 2017
- Summary: ALLENBY BRIDGE, JORDAN VALLEY, JORDAN (AUGUST 2, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CAR CARRYING JORDANIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, YAHYA SOUD, DRIVING TOWARDS ALLENBY BRIDGE SOUD WALKING WITH OTHERS VARIOUS OF CARS / PEOPLE IN THE AREA POLICE FORCES SOUD SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) JORDANIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, YAHYA SOUD, SAYING: "Today Netanyahu has seen that Yahya Soud is serious, that he went to the bridge and busting this dirty man's nose, and told him to stop and turn back. Jordanians are up to the task. I want to say to Netanyahu, if the doors of jihad are open, Jordanians would have stepped over you with the bottom of their shoes." SOUD SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) JORDANIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, YAHYA SOUD, SAYING: "My message is clear, you have seen that the message has been sent. I have arrived at the bridge, he did not make it to the bridge, so I say that he is a coward, he should search for his roots. The Balfour declaration brought him to Palestine, and he took our land and our holy sites." SOUD SPEAKING TO REPORTERS SOUD WALKING TOWARDS HIS CAR SOUD IN HIS CAR SOUD'S CAR DRIVING AWAY
- Embargoed: 16th August 2017 15:01
- Keywords: Israeli lawmaker Jordanian lawmaker Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
- Location: ALLENBY BRIDGE, JORDAN VALLEY, JORDAN
- City: ALLENBY BRIDGE, JORDAN VALLEY, JORDAN
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0016SGRT5H
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A Jordanian lawmaker made his way to the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Wednesday (August 2) after challenging his Israeli counterpart to a fist-fight.
But the stand off between Yahya Soud and Israeli lawmaker Oren Hazan didn't go ahead after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stopped Hazan from taking on Soud.
"Today Netanyahu has seen that Yahya Soud is serious, that he went to the bridge and busting this dirty man's nose, and told him to stop and turn back. Jordanians are up to the task. I want to say to Netanyahu, if the doors of jihad are open, Jordanians would have stepped over you with the bottom of their shoes,'' said Soud.
As the appointed time neared, both men posted images of themselves on social media driving to the crossing.
But Hazan's journey was cut short after Netanyahu's office ordered him to turn around. A statement from the prime minister's office did not say why Netanyahu had stopped the fight from proceeding.
There was no immediate comment from Jordan.
Hazan said on Twitter he was disappointed the encounter had not taken place.
Soud labelled Hazan as a 'coward' for not coming to the bridge.
A diplomatic crisis between the two neighbours erupted when the July 23 shooting to death of two Jordanians by an Israeli embassy guard who said he was acting in self-defence outraged Amman, stirring up pro-Palestinian sentiment in the kingdom and prompting U.S. mediation efforts.
Oren Hazan, a member of Netanyahu's rightist Likud party had tweeted on the day of the shooting that Jordanians "who we keep supplied with water and whose butts we defend day and night" needed "re-education".
His comments prompted a challenge from Jordan's Soud, "Let him meet me, if he is a man," Soud said on Twitter.
Jordan became the second of only two Arab countries to make peace with Israel in 1994. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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