(Times of Israel) Raoul Wootliff and Adam Rasgon - Although the land near Naharayim had belonged to Israel for decades, under the 1994 peace treaty it was transferred to Jordan and then, in a spirit of cooperation, leased back to Israel so that the farmers could continue cultivating their fields. Israeli visitors were warmly welcomed to the enclave inside the Kingdom of Jordan (which hold the remains of a hydroelectric power station build by Jews in 1921). In 1997, a Jordanian soldier massacred seven Israeli schoolgirls on an outing at Naharayim. Following that event, the late King Hussein made an unprecedented trip to each of the victims' homes to express his personal sorrow and the grief of his nation. The area became known as the Isle of Peace. On Sunday, Jordan's King Abdullah II announced he would not be renewing the leasing agreement - dismantling the Isle of Peace.
2018-10-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive