Jordan simulates war with Israel in army ‘maneuver’

NOVEMBER 29, 2019 06:40

Jordan’s King Abdullah (wearing a black shirt) and Crown Prince Hussein pray as they take part in a ceremony in Naharayim in Hebrew, and Baquora in Arabic, in the border area between Israel and Jordan, November 11, 2019

(photo credit: REUTERS/JORDANIAN ROYAL PALACE/YOUSEF ALLAN/HANDOU)

The Jordanian army conducted a military exercise simulating battle with Israel, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

The exercise’s name is “Swords of Karama,” which is reportedly named after Israel’s 1968 operation against Fatah, which took place near the village Karama. At the time, Jordan fought alongside Fatah. Jordanian news sources claimed that the exercise simulated a defensive maneuver in which the country is “invaded.”

The maneuvers were attended by King Abdullah, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, and several other senior Jordanian officials.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces Maj.-Gen. Yousef Huneiti said that the exercise is to prepare so that they may “strike with an iron hand against anyone from the extremist and terrorist gangs who dares to harm the homeland’s security,” according to MEMRI.

Jordanian website Rumonline claimed that “in light of deterioration of relations with the occupying state [Israel] and the increasingly harsh tone of [Israel’s] statements vis-à-vis Jordan… It seems that we will be waging a ‘cool battle’ with the occupier in the near future.”