More Israeli tourists will be able to visit Jordan, according to an agreement being worked out between the two countries.
In a telephone conversation between Tourism Minister Uzi Baram and his Jordanian counterpart, Abed Hila, the two agreed to allow an additional 100 Israelis into Jordan a day, bringing the daily quota to 900.
Now, Israelis can only enter Jordan on organized tours. Overbooking by travel agencies has resulted in long waits at the border crossings. During the Purim holiday weekend, about 1,000 Israelis were turned back at the border, many after having spent the day waiting on buses. Baram criticized Israeli travel agencies for announcing that organized trips to jordan would end if Jordan does not cancel its method of having tourists cross into Jordan.
“This method of threats and ultimatums will not advance the issue, and may even damage it,” Baram said in statement. “Relations with the Jordanians are sensitive and need to be dealt with carefully and thoughtfully.
Since the two countries opened their borders, about 35,000 Israelis have visited the Hashemite kingdom. About 5,000 Jordanian tourists have come to Israel.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
