Jordan blasts Israel's Olmert

AMMAN, Jordan, March 19 (UPI) -- The Jordanian government Monday blasted Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for reportedly stating the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq will threaten the kingdom.

Government spokesman Nasser Judeh slammed Olmert's statements, saying, "Israel should be concerned with its own internal security, which cannot be achieved except with negotiations, moving forward the peace process and the establishment of a Palestinian state."

Judeh told reporters in Amman that Israeli polls show Olmert's popularity has dropped to only 2 percent and urged him to worry about his own political future instead of worrying over Jordan's.

Israel's Haaretz reported Friday that among the fears expressed by Olmert during the U.S. pro-Israeli AIPAC lobby conference is that the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq would lead to the collapse of the regime in Jordan.

While Judeh claimed the kingdom is not giving importance to the Israeli leader's comments, he said Amman "rejects" them. But Jordan also expects such statements from Israel, he said, in reference to the aftermath of King Abdullah's address to the U.S. Congress last week, in which he stressed the need to establish a Palestinian state and bring peace to the Middle East.

The Israeli prime minister's reported remarks have prompted an outcry from Jordanian politicians. Earlier Monday Jordan's Parliament issued a statement condemning Olmert's comments and described them as "lacking decency."

Jordan and Israel signed an unpopular peace treaty in 1994.