Jordan refuses entry to 150 Orthodox Jews over rioting

Jordan refused entry to 150 ultra-Orthodox Israeli Haredi Jews on Tuesday, according to Israeli media. 

The Israelis were refused entry for reportedly rioting at the border crossing after Jordanian authorities did not allow them to bring food with them.

The group who attempted to enter Jordan were travelling to pray at the grave of the Biblical figure Aaron, the elder brother of Moses, on the anniversary of his death.

Aaron is believed by Jews to be the ancestor of Israelite priesthood.

"A group of Haredi Jews (about 150) was refused entry to Jordan due to a riot at the Jordanian terminal over the refusal of the Jordanians to allow them to bring food,” Israel National News reported the Israeli Airports Authority as saying. 

“Despite the crossing staff's warning, they decided to take the food items with them. The Rabin Crossing is prepared to receive them and for a later closure if necessary,'' the authority added.

The crossing - which is an international border crossing between Eilat, Israel and Aqaba, Jordan - is referred to by Jordanians as the Wadi Araba Crossing, and by Israelis as the Yitzhak Rabin Crossing.

Jordanian King Abdullah had a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday in Amman.

King Abdullah told Lapid - in their first meeting since US President Biden’s visited the region earlier this month - that Palestinians should be part of US-sponsored regional economic projects to underpin stability in the Middle East.

The Jordanian leader stressed that the creation of a Palestinian state was essential to reaching lasting peace between Arabs and Israelis.

Lapid also refused a request by King Abdullah to deliver copies of the Qur'an to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1994 following the Wadi Araba peace agreement

The New Arab has contacted Jordanian authorities for comment regarding the incident at the crossing.