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A Palestinian flag decorates the entrance to a grocery shop in the Abdali district of central Amman, next to a black banner mourning Palestinians killed in Gaza.
“They are martyrs,” says the owner, Shady Raouf, who heavily criticises Israel's actions.
Solidarity with the Palestinians is the official policy in Jordan, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994.
But the latest Gaza war has generated new levels of public support for the cause in the kingdom, which has a largely mixed society, with many residents having relatives in Palestine.
Authorities have warned against the Gaza conflict expanding to the West Bank, which could drive more Palestinians to neighbouring Jordan and undermine their struggle against Israel.
Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi has said such a scenario would constitute “a declaration of war”.
In Amman, security forces have allowed pro-Gaza demonstrations at three locations, including near the Israeli embassy.
Mr Raouf has been to protests at all three locations. His parents are originally from Hebron, a Palestinian trade and manufacturing city that fell under the control of Israel when it occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East War.
Palestinians were among the skilled Levantines who played a main role in the development of the kingdom following its foundation as a British protectorate.
The Palestinian community expanded even further after waves of refugees moved to Jordan when Israel was created in 1948, and in 1967.
Since the Gaza war broke out last week, more and more people have been glued to Arab TV news channels, which focus on Palestinian casualties of the war.
“I cannot stop watching, although it is making me unwell,” says Raghida, a manager at an international charity.
Asked if she had any sympathy for the Israeli civilians killed in the October 7 attack, she said no.
“The Israelis don't deserve any, after what they had done to the Palestinians,” said Raghida, whose grandparents were refugees from central Palestine.
Many Palestinians acquired land and intermarried with the tribes that were living in what became Jordan in 1921.
The tribes continued to underpin the security forces and members formed the core of the bureaucracy.
In a show of national unity, the authorities on Wednesday convened a special session at the loyalist parliament, which mostly comprises tribal members.
One of the deputies, Saleh Al Armouti, demanded the abrogation of the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty, and the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in Amman.
“It is not reasonable that Colombia expelled the Israeli ambassador while my country [did not],” he told the session.
On Monday, Colombia asked the Israeli ambassador to leave the country. The ambassador, Gali Dagan, had criticised a comparison that President Gustavo Petro made between the Israeli attacks on Gaza and Nazi actions against the Jews.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
INDIA%20SQUAD
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Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
