Jordan bars Jews with religious items

[Behind the Aegis]

Source: The Jerusalem Post


Jordanian border officials refused to allow a group of Israeli tourists carrying religious objects such as talitot and tefillin to enter their country on Tuesday, saying it was "a safety measure" to avoid potential terror threats.

Thirty-six Israeli tourists on their way to Amman for a three-day tour were detained at the Sheikh Ali Hussein Crossing near Beit She'an at 6:30 a.m. and notified of a new regulation that prohibits entry into Jordan with tefillin, talitot, prayer books, Bibles or the Talmud.

"Our group was presented with two options," said Alan Novetsky, a recent immigrant from New York who was accompanied on the tour by his wife. "Either enter Jordan without religious objects or go back to Israel."

Novetsky said the group's suitcases were thoroughly searched for religious items. "They seemed to know exactly what they were looking for.

"It was very demeaning to have such a negative experience in what is billed as a friendly country. People in the group, including the tour guides, were quite shocked. No one had ever heard that Jordan imposed religious restrictions," he said.



Read more: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1218446197326&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[Mimosa]

1. Religious discrimination against Jews isn't new with those people, sad to say

Think it could be an intensification of anti-Jewish sentiments which will lead to action?

[Betsy Ross]

2. Back in the good ol' days

tourist planning to visit Jordan after visiting Israel would not get an Israel stamp in their passport. A separate sheet of paper was used as Jordan would not admit anyone who had ever been to Israel. While travel between Israel and its Moslem neighbors has been allowed for over twenty years, passport/imigration controls are still a pain. This just adds another layer of BS, a new attempt to keep Jews out.

[Indenturedebtor]

3. Well if you go from Israel to Jordan and you're a Jew - you're going to have problems anyways

I know a lot of people who were driven halfway in, then told to either get out of the car or fork over 100 bucks. You have to bribe your way in and out, etc. It's a common scheme.

[JCMach1]

5. Exactly and with over half of the Jordanian population actually Palestinan

I want to just say :wtf: were they thinking anyway.

They should just vacation in Gaza, it's closer by and the beaches are nicer. :sarcasm:

[Indenturedebtor]

6. Where do you get that figure from? The one in your post title... n/t

[JCMach1]

7. Common knowledge, but here's a link

http://www.refugees.org/countryreports.aspx?id=967

Even my estimate might be low as some 'Jordanians' /Palestinians began arriving in Jordan literally since the beginning of the Zionist movement within Palestine/Israel... estimates range as high as 2/3 of the Jordan's population are Palestinian.

[UndertheOcean]

4. Shameful