The US ambassador to Jordan was denied entry to the funeral of a prominent official, whose family said the decision to bar the envoy was due to "solidarity with Gaza" and local customs.
The family of Abdullah Al Dmour, a former mayor of Karak, rejected James Holtsnider's attempt to offer his condolences and said he was not welcome. Al Dmour tribe said the decision was based on a "national and moral position" and respect for Jordanian sovereignty, constitutional institutions and tribal customs. Mourning spaces should remain separate from politics and diplomacy, it added.
The family also criticised an increase in diplomatic visits that went beyond political settings and into private and tribal spaces.
Mr Holtsnider, who assumed the position in October, has raised eyebrows in Jordan by making prominent appearances at tribal and social events, rather than restricting himself to official diplomatic engagements. He attended tribal council meetings, funerals, weddings, sports and community events across the kingdom.
Jordanian tribes are neither an alternative arena nor a framework for external political communication, the family said. Jordan's international relations are run by state institutions and are not based on tribal or social norms, they added.
The family said the ambassador was also barred from the funeral because of US policies that "contributed to the killing, destruction, displacement and starvation endured by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip".
The move showed "an ethical and humanitarian position in solidarity with Gaza and its people, a clear alignment with the blood of innocent civilians and a response to a reality that has shaken the human conscience before the Arab one". There was no official response from Mr Holtsnider or the US embassy.
