A Jordan parliament member was kicked out of his Islamic party after newspaper articles surfaced showing he shook Israel President Shimon Peres’ hand during a recent visit for the country’s Independence Day celebrations.
Muhammad Esa al-Doima’s was a member of the Al-Wasat Al-Islamiy party, Ynet News reported. The faction has a strict Islamic agenda and party leaders said shaking Mr. Peres’ hand sent a message of favoring normalization with Israel — which the party rejects, Ynet said.
Mr. al-Dumia denied he shook the Israeli president’s hand, Ynet reported. He also said he’d made frequent trips to Israel over the past 10 years, but nonetheless supported the “liberation of Palestine from the sea to the river,” he said, in Ynet.
The party, however, finalized his expulsion on Monday and issued a statement: Mr. al-Dumia “took part in a ceremony held in the Zionist entity to mark its Independence Cay and even shook the hand of the criminal Shimon Peres — a hand that is stained with the blood of Palestinians,” Ynet said.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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