Jordanian police clash with protesters near Israeli embassy

Jordanian police on Wednesday said several anti-riot police were injured during clashes that broke out with rioting protesters near the Israeli embassy, who were torching property.

The authorities had earlier deployed riot police to disperse thousands of demonstrators planning to march on the heavily fortified Israeli embassy to protest against Israel’s military assault against Gaza.

The Israeli embassy, where protesters gather daily, has long been a flashpoint of anti-Israel protests at times of turmoil in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Late on Tuesday, dozens of youths attempted to storm the heavily-guarded compound but security forces used tear gas to disperse them. Several protesters were arrested.

Anti-Israel demonstrations have also been spreading across the country with some slamming perceived inaction by authorities, saying their compatriots in Gaza were being left to face Israel’s military might alone.

Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel is widely unpopular among many citizens who see normalisation as betraying the rights of their Palestinian compatriots.

Amman, which lost the West Bank including East Jerusalem to Israel during the 1967 war, is worried widening violence in the region could have repercussions with a large percentage of Jordan’s population made up of Palestinians.

Authorities have deployed heavy security near the border to bar activists from holding protests.