The Jordanian parliament is exerting pressure on the government in a bid to send Gaza Strip refugees living in the Hashemite kingdom back to Gaza, the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper reported Thursday. There are about 200,000 Gaza refugees in Jordan. Refugees and their descendants are not eligible for a Jordanian identity card and have no political rights in Jordan.
After meeting with Jordanian Prime Minister Adnan Badran, Parliament Speaker Abdul Hadi al-Majali said the government would do all it could to assist Gaza refugees return. At the same time, the prime minister reportedly asked for a delay on the matter.
In the coming weeks expect to hear more from Arab governments in the Middle East wishing to disengage all Gazan nationals from their refugee camps. Though I have to admit if I was a Palestinian Arab refugee living in the relative safety of the Kingdom of Jordan; I would certainly not be in a hurry to return to Gaza in the light of the ongoing power struggle by Hamas/Islamic Jihad/Palestinian Authority for control of the Gaza Strip. After 38 years what's another year or so when the bullets and kassams are flying?
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