AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Amman - 30 August 2015

1. Protesters walking with signs

2. Various of protest outside the National Electric Power Company building against the proposed Israeli-Jordanian gas deal where the Kingdom would buy gas from Israel on what some consider illegally occupied territory

3. Close of sign reading in Arabic "Jordan's energy - at the mercy of the Zionist entity (Israel)"

4. Close of red sign reading "Gas, the enemy is occupation"

5. Protesters holding a giant subpoena at the front gate of the electric power company

6. Hisham Bustani, activist and one of the organizers of the protest

7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hisham Bustani, activist and author:

"The clear majority of the Jordanian people oppose this (proposed gas deal) and they oppose any relationship with the Zionist entity (Israel). This is an economic connection with Israel, and the Jordanian parliament opposes it too, with 100 out of the 150 parliamentarians being against this gas agreement with Israel, but because of the lack of democracy here in Jordan, the government does not ask the people or listen to their views or consider that parliament is against the deal."

8. Various of activists attaching anti-gas deal signs to their rented bus

9. Wide of bus driving away

10. Various of activists carrying the first subpoena to Parliament and being stopped by security

11. Wide of National Electric Power Company sign

12. Bustani carrying giant subpoena up bridge to cross road to electric company

13. Wide of Bustani carrying sign across street

14. VArious of protesters holding signs

15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Farah Kaddoura, activist from the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature:

"In Jordan there is truly a lot of alternatives (to gas). We could turn to oil or even renewable sources of energy, because in Jordan there is about 300 days of sunshine every year. This means the alternative is amazing, awesome and we must undertake its exploitation. There's also wind energy, or even other ways to get gas. There's really so many other options but you won't find any decision to look for it. There has been a decision, however, to connect Jordan with the Zionist entity but this won't benefit the people and this is why we have chosen the path of popular tribunal."

17. Bustani and others handing over the second subpoena to a representative from the electricity company

Activists in Jordan have presented two subpoenas, printed on enormous placards, to the national electrical company and parliament in a protest against a gas deal between Jordan and Israel.

While the subpoenas presented on Sunday are not legal documents, the activists, many of whom are lawyers, say they will file court documents in the coming days.

Broad segments of Jordanian society, where a majority have Palestinian roots, oppose a "normalisation" of relations with Israel, 21 years after the two countries signed a peace deal.

The 15 (b) billion US dollar deal was first signed in September 2014.

It promises delivery of 2.2 (b) billion cubic metres (77.5 (b) billion cubic feet) of gas from Israel's offshore platforms in the Mediterranean directly to the Jordanian Bromine company and the Arab Potash company.

The Jordanian government at the time hoped it would provide a steady source of energy for 30 percent of its national requirement, 97 percent of which is imported.

The Associated Press was not allowed to film inside Parliament, but witnessed representatives from Jordan's legislative branch take the giant subpoena into their custody, promising to deliver it to the delegates for their consideration.

Activists contend that the Tamar gas reserve, being developed by the US-based Noble Energy company, is an illegal theft of occupied natural resources and that such a deal would entrench the Jordanian government with Israel to the disadvantage of those aspiring to Palestinian statehood and the right of return.

The coalition of activists opposed to the deal includes lawyers and gender rights activists as well as environmentalists and unions.

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.