[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16437]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        JORDAN'S MIXED SIGNALS HARM REGIONAL PEACE AND STABILITY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MATT SALMON

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 2, 2014

  Mr. SALMON. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring to my colleagues' attention 
an incident that occurred on November 16, 2014 in which two American 
rabbis and three Israeli citizens were brutally murdered in a West 
Jerusalem synagogue by two cousins associated with the Har Nof 
terrorist group.
  While I appreciate the role Jordan, her government, and her people 
play in fighting terrorism and promoting regional stability, I am 
deeply disappointed at the Jordanian government's response to this 
sickening, ruthless act of terrorism and murder.
  While the Prime Minister's office officially condemned the action and 
its extremist ideology, these admonishments are rendered moot when they 
are followed by a letter of condolence from Jordanian Prime Minister 
Abdullah Ensour to the terrorists' family. Additionally, the Jordanian 
parliament not only condoned but celebrated the murders by holding a 
minute of silence on the parliament floor to memorialize the 
perpetrators. Such mixed signals from the Jordanian government are 
unconscionable and counterproductive to ongoing efforts toward regional 
stabilization and peace.
  Praising those who commit acts of terrorism promotes the culture of 
political violence that continually shocks the neighborhoods of East 
and West Jerusalem, further derailing an already strained 
reconciliation process at each turn. Such official endorsements send 
the wrong message to Jordanian citizens and Muslims worldwide, 
especially youth who are faced each day with the decision to turn to 
violence or toward peace.
  The U.S. Congress must encourage the Jordanian government to stand in 
condemnation of such acts of violence.

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