Netanyahu bans ‘fistfight’ between Israeli and Jordanian lawmakers

Seeking to prevent a diplomatic incident, Netanyahu called off a duel between an Israeli lawmaker and his Jordanian challenger.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forced an Israeli lawmaker to cancel a face-off with a Jordanian challenger, which was slated to consist of a fistfight according to the Jordanian website JO24.net

The showdown between Jordanian lawmaker Yahya Al-Saud and Member of Knesset (MK) Oren Hazan was scheduled for Wednesday morning on Allenby Bridge in the no-man’s-land border area between the two countries.

Hazan had already arrived when Netanyahu’s office told him to stand down, seeking to avoid another diplomatic incident with the Hashemite Kingdom.

The two had quarreled on social media amid tensions over the Palestinian violence surrounding the Temple Mount and a shooting at Israel’s Embassy in Amman a week ago.

Hazan had tweeted he’d make Al-Saud “an offer he can’t refuse,” remarking that “the Arabs who call themselves Palestinians, their place is in Jordan.”

Al-Saud for his part denied that Israel is “always protecting Jordan,” and challenged Hazan after being berated.

“It seems to me that Jordan, our neighbor to the east, the folks we provide water to and protect their a_ _ day and night, need a little re-education. It’s starting to feel like ‘goodbye,’” Hazan tweeted.

Al-Saud responded that “the shoe of any Palestinian child is more honorable than this villain and his entity [country]” and “the shoe of any Arab and Muslim is better than him and his rogue entity, which has no origin and no religion.”

Hazan is known for his unparliamentary conduct, while Al-Saud is known for his violent outbursts.

By: World Israel News Staff and agencies

Israel-Jordan relationsJordanNetanyahuOren Hazan