Thirteen members of Jordan’s parliament have called on their government to expel the Israeli ambassador from the Jordanian capital of Amman.

In a memo signed and passed on to Jordan’s Lower House Speaker Feisal Fayez on Sunday, the Jordanian lawmakers also called on their government to condemn Tel Aviv’s illegal settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, Xinhua reported.

Jordan and Egypt remain the only two Arab countries to have diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv.

Israel recently approved the construction of 1,600 illegal units in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

The plan was announced last year after Israel resumed the expansion of illegal settlements following a 10-month partial freeze that prompted the Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders to break off US-sponsored talks with Tel Aviv that had resumed after a lengthy stalemate.

The approval has been condemned by the international community.

Robert Serry, UN coordinator for the Middle East, called it a “provocative action [as it] undermines ongoing efforts by the international community to bring the parties [Palestine and Israel] back to negotiations.”

Israel, however, claims the construction plan has been put forward because Tel Aviv currently faces an “economic crisis.”

Moreover, Israel has announced plans to authorize the construction of a further 2,700 illegal units.

(Press TV)