What We Know About the Three Border Crossings between Jordan and Israelhttps://english.aawsat.com/features/5059063-what-we-know-about-three-border-crossings-between-jordan-and-israel
What We Know About the Three Border Crossings between Jordan and Israel
A medical service vehicle drives near the site where a truck driver opened fire on the Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, near Jericho in the West Bank. (EPA)
What We Know About the Three Border Crossings between Jordan and Israel
A medical service vehicle drives near the site where a truck driver opened fire on the Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, near Jericho in the West Bank. (EPA)
The killing of three Israelis on Sunday in an armed attack by a Jordanian near the King Hussein-Allenby Bridge, from the Jordanian side, has brought attention to the three key border crossings linking Jordan and Israel. These points serve as vital land routes in the region.
While some of these crossings date back to World War I (1914–1918), their modern operation is regulated by the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace treaty, also known as the Wadi Araba Agreement. Here is what we know about them:
The Allenby Bridge (Israeli name) – King Hussein Bridge (Jordanian name) – Al-Karama Bridge (Palestinian name):
Located 57 kilometers from Amman, south of the Jordan Valley, this crossing sits geographically between the other two crossings. It is the only one designated for Palestinians traveling from Jericho.
According to Israeli border authorities, the bridge was originally built during World War I as a passage for British forces between the eastern and western banks of the Jordan River. Initially a simple wooden structure, it has evolved into one of the main crossings between the two sides.
Sheikh Hussein Bridge (Jordanian name) – Northern Crossing or Jordan River Crossing (Israeli name):
This crossing is located 90 kilometers north of Amman, close to the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias).
Established as part of the Jordan-Israel peace agreement, it is used primarily for the passage of Israeli travelers, tourists, and the transport of goods between the two countries.
Wadi Araba Crossing or Southern Crossing (Jordanian name) – Yitzhak Rabin Crossing (Israeli name since 2002):
The southernmost border crossing between Israel and Jordan, it is situated 324 kilometers south of Amman and connects the cities of Eilat and Aqaba near the Red Sea.
This was the first crossing to open between Israel and Jordan following their peace agreement, and it is primarily used by Israelis and foreign tourists, either on foot or by car.
What Is the ‘Shiite Duo’s’ Problem with Salam’s Appointment as Lebanon’s PM?https://english.aawsat.com/features/5101451-what-%E2%80%98shiite-duo%E2%80%99s%E2%80%99-problem-salam%E2%80%99s-appointment-lebanon%E2%80%99s-pm
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam waves as he arrives to meet with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (not pictured) at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon, 14 January 2025. (EPA)
What Is the ‘Shiite Duo’s’ Problem with Salam’s Appointment as Lebanon’s PM?
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam waves as he arrives to meet with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (not pictured) at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon, 14 January 2025. (EPA)
Several observers have questioned the strong opposition by the “Shiite duo” of Hezbollah and the Amal movement of the appointment of Nawaf Salam as Lebanon’s prime minister.
Head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc MP Mohammed Raad went so far on Monday to declare that the party had been “deceived with the aim of creating division and exclusion” in the country.
Salam was named prime minister on Monday after earning 84 votes from parliamentary blocs. His predecessor Najib Mikati received nine, while the Shiite duo abstained from naming anyone.
Back in 2023, the duo had agreed to a so-called “French initiative” that suggested the election of Hezbollah and Amal’s candidate Suleiman Franjieh as president in exchange for Salam to be named prime minister.
Salam, who in February 2024 was named head of the International Court of Justice, boasts a long history of opposing Israel, which should have earned him Hezbollah’s strong support. He resigned from the post after being designated prime minister.
Figures close to the duo said that one of the issues Hezbollah has with Salam is that since the October 2019 anti-government protests in Lebanon, he has been viewed as the opposition and West’s candidate for the position of prime minister.
Political anlayst Dr. Kassem Kassir told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah and Amal don’t view Salam as a rival as they had agreed to his nomination in line with the French initiative.
The problem, however, lies in how he was nominated. He explained that internal and foreign forces had reached an agreement that would see Joseph Aoun elected president and Mikati named prime minister, he said.
However, it appears that some sort of internal and foreign “coup” had taken place and that led to Salam’s nomination and appointment, he remarked.
On whether the dispute can be resolved, Kassir said “positive stances” during the government formation process may tackle the issue.
“The Shiite duo fear that there may be an agenda aimed at excluding its influential role in political life,” he added.
A handout photo made available by the Lebanese Presidency Press Office shows Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (L) speaking with Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (R) during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon, 14 January 2025. (Lebanese Presidency Press Office)
Hezbollah had warned on Monday that Salam’s government may be “unconstitutional” should it fail to meet its demands and aspirations.
Raad said: “We have the right to demand the formation of a constitutional government. A government that violates joint coexistence is not legal.”
Constitutional expert Dr. Saeed Malek said “constitutionality” is one of the foundations of Lebanon’s political system.
The constitution clearly states that there can be no legitimacy to an authority that violates mutual coexistence, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
However, the issue of “constitutionality” must not be brought up when a certain party wants to deliver a political message and prevent the remaining parties from building a state and practicing their rights, he stressed.
“Yes, the Shiite duo does represent Shiites in Lebanon, but they don’t represent all Lebanese Shiites. The community boasts figures who enrich the Shiite sect, so a government can be formed with them,” Kassir said.
“A government would be unconstitutional if not a single Shiite figure is represented in it,” he underlined.
On whether the government needs the vote of confidence of the Shiite MPs, he said the constitution does not stipulate that a cabinet needs the vote of all segments. “It simply says that it needs the vote of confidence,” he added.
“At the end of the day, the issue of ‘constitutionality’ is a right, but one must not exploit this right with the aim to obstruct state functioning and the formation of a government,” Malek stressed.
“No party has the right to obstruct a new presidential term under the pretext of ‘constitutionality’,” he stated.
