From UPI, .
Jordan’s Islamic legislators have asked King Abdullah to allow Hamas leaders who were evicted six years ago to return to Jordan, a legislator said Wednesday.
Azzam Honeidi, head of the Islamic bloc in Parliament, told UPI that the 17 legislators made the request at a meeting with the Jordanian monarch Tuesday night.
He said the Islamic legislators raised the issue on the grounds that Hamas is a strong political movement in the Palestinian territories, with influence in the Arab and Islamic world.
Honeidi said the bloc pointed out to the king that “even the United States and Europe started establishing contacts with Hamas in view of its wide popular base among the Palestinians.”
The legislators also argued that the evicted Hamas leaders held Jordanian nationality and according to the constitution no Jordanian should be expelled from the country…
Jordan expelled Hamas leaders, including Politburo chief Khaled Meshaal, in 1999. It later agreed to allow the return of those who held Jordanian nationality on condition they quit their positions in the movement and stopped any political or media activity.