Protests in Jordan over US embassy

Jordan holds the longest borders with Israel

Riot police in Amman have clashed with hundreds of demonstrators protesting against a transfer of the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The protest follows talks between Jordan's King Abdullah and a US envoy on ways to revive the Middle East peace process, following the collapse of the Camp David summit in the US last month.

Jerusalem is the most thorny issue in the peace process

The possibility of moving the embassy to Jerusalem was suggested by President Clinton in a recent interview with Israeli television.

His proposal sparked a flurry of protests across the Middle East.

The transfer of the US embassy holds critical importance because the move would imply official recognition of Israeli control of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is the most thorny issue between the Palestinians and the Israelis, with both sides claiming the holy city - captured by Israel in 1967 - as their capital.

'Jihad' for Jerusalem

Jerusalem is sacred to Christian, Muslims and Jews

The protests - which saw Muslims as well as members of Jordanian opposition parties take to the streets - were the first to occur in Jordan over the embassy issue.

The clashes broke out when protesters were stopped by riot police from marching to the United Nations headquarters in the city.

"America and Israel are plotting against Arabs and Muslims in the so-called Camp David negotiations to strip us of our rights in Jerusalem and Palestine," shouted Abdul-Majid Thneibat, the spiritual guide of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood Movement.

Leaders of the protest called for a jihad - a holy war - against Israel, to liberate Jerusalem.

Barak visit

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak will travel to Jordan next week to brief King Abdullah on negotiations with the Palestinians, Israel radio reported on Friday.

Mr Barak will travel to Jordan next week

Mr Barak recently travelled to Egypt for talks on the Jerusalem issue but his trip was considered unsuccessful.

Amman supports the Palestinians' claim to have east Jerusalem as their capital.

Jordan holds the longest borders with Israel and the majority of its citizens are of Palestinian descent.

On Thursday King Abdullah met US envoy to discuss ways to revive the peace process.

The envoy - Edward Walker, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs is on a tour of Arab countries.