Jordanians protest water for energy deal with Israel

AMMAN, Jordan

Thousands of Jordanians rallied in protest against a deal signed with Israel that will reportedly see the two countries swap electricity for water.

The march began in front of the Husseini Mosque in the capital Amman and continued to the Al-Nakhil Square about a kilometer (0.6 miles) away amid a heavy security presence, an Anadolu Agency correspondent reported from the scene.

The demonstrations were organized by political parties and trade unions in Jordan to reject the Hashemite Kingdom's decision to negotiate with Tel Aviv on the feasibility of a joint energy and water project.

On Monday, Jordan announced the signing of a declaration of intent for exchanging water for energy with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel.

The three countries will start talks to explore the feasibility of a joint energy and water project, according to Jordan's Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

The ministry said in a statement that the declaration of intent meant "entering the process of feasibility studies during the next year 2022 through which Jordan could obtain 200 million cubic meters of water annually."

Last month, Jordan signed an agreement with Israel to buy 50 million cubic meters of water from Tel Aviv -- an additional amount to what was stipulated in the peace agreement signed between the two countries in 1994.

Jordan currently stands second in the list of the world's water-poor countries, according to the global water index.

* Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar