Netanyahu tries to justify his statements against Jordan

Israeli political circles expected the failure of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon to Jordan on Sunday, following the recent statements Netanyahu made about Jordan, which were viewed as an intervention in the internal affairs of Jordan.

High-ranking Israeli circles on Sunday expressed their fears that the visit of Netanyahu and Sharon to Amman will end in failure.

News reports had indicated that the subject of security cooperation between the two countries was to be addressed during the visit.

In an attempt to justify his intervention in the internal affairs of Jordan and to escape his recent statements in this regard, Netanyahu said in a statement he made on Sunday to Israel Radio that he explained to the Jordanian officials what he had said at Haifa university concerning relations between Jordan and certain Arab states, in reference to Netanyahu's statements that Jordan may once again side with Iraq against Israel as happened upon the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

Netanyahu underestimated the significance of objections provoked by his recent statements asserting that his "relations with Jordan are good and will remain so."

Earlier in the day, Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh stressed that the issue of how Jordan maintains its relations with other Arab states and the world is a matter which is only of concern to Jordan, adding that Jordan "does not accept any foreign intervention in its internal affairs."