Israel Returns Detained Jordanian Lawmaker to His Country

On Sunday, Israel returned a Jordanian parliament member, Imad Al-Adwan, who had been arrested on charges of attempting to smuggle weapons into the West Bank. According to Israel's internal security agency, Shin Bet, Al-Adwan was detained on April 22 at a border crossing controlled by Israel and has been sent back to Jordan for further investigation and legal proceedings. The Speaker of the Jordanian Parliament announced that Al-Adwan's parliamentary immunity has been revoked, allowing him to be prosecuted. Reuters reported, citing a Jordanian security source, that the case against the Jordanian lawmaker will be tried. According to Shin Bet's statement, 12 rifles and 194 pistols were seized from the lawmaker's vehicle, and he had previously used his diplomatic passport for smuggling weapons, animals, electronic cigarettes, and gold. Shin Bet added that Al-Adwan was seeking to receive 'large sums of money' through arms smuggling to the West Bank, and Jordanian authorities have arrested several others accused of participating in this action. The lawyer of the Jordanian lawmaker confirmed his release from Israeli prison but stated he could not comment on the charges. Israel has close security relations with Jordan, which shares the longest border with this western neighbor. However, political relations between Israel and Jordan have cooled in recent years, with many Jordanian citizens having Palestinian origins. Israel's Foreign Minister stated that the detained Jordanian lawmaker should be prosecuted. Hamas welcomed the killing of two Israeli sisters in the West Bank.