US and Jordan enter talks to extradite 2001 Jerusalem bomber
US officials have started negoations with Jordan to extradite Ahlam Tamimi, a high-profile Jordanian convicted by an Israeli court for aiding a deadly 2001 attack in Jerusalem, Middle East Eye reported on April 29th.
These discussions coincide with rising domestic anger in Jordan over Israel’s war in Gaza. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, also banned the Muslim Brotherhood.
Although, Tamimi’s extradition features in a wider series of deals that Jordan hopes will unlock more US economic aid. The dismantling of US Agency for International Development (USAID) restricted that aid.
“Jordan is trying to show the Trump administration it is still relevant to its world view,” a senior Western source familiar with the talks told Middle East Eye. “The old adage that aid is needed to stabilise Jordan for the sake of the region does not fly anymore,” the source said.
As US troops withdraw from northeastern Syria, Jordan has stepped up operations against Syria, the source noted. Reuters reported on April 26th that US and Syrian officials began talks in Amman.
Tamimi was given 16 life terms for the 2001 Sbarro pizzeria bombing that killed 15 people, with seven being children. She was released in a 2011 Hamas prisoner swap. She now lives in Jordan and speaks frequently in local media.
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported in February that Jordan asked Hamas to relocate Tamimi or she would be extradited. Since Jordan Prohibited the Muslim Brotherhood last month, the US sees an opportunity to push the extradition, the source added.
Tamimi’s case strained US and Jordan relations under Trump. The Associated Press reported in 2020 that the White House considered cutting aid to Jordan to get Tamimi.
Middle East Eye, Reuters
