The government on Tuesday survived a vote of no-confidence over what some deputies described as its failure to properly respond to the killing of judge Raed Zuaiter, who was shot dead by Israeli soldiers last week.
After a week of lobbying, the majority of MPs voted Tuesday afternoon in favour of the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour following a heated session, particularly after Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh earlier decided not to have a vote of no-confidence.
The speaker then agreed to the demands of deputies and went ahead with the vote.
A total of 81 deputies voted for granting confidence to the government, while 30 others gave no-confidence votes.
The call for the vote of no-confidence was due to what some deputies termed as inadequate government response to the killing of Zuaiter, 38, on the King Hussein Bridge crossing that links Jordan and the West Bank.
Following the killing, several MPs have called for expelling the Israeli ambassador and abolishing of the peace treaty with Israel, signed in 1994.
Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have expressed their “deep regret” over the death of Zuaiter, who was going to visit Nablus, in separate telephone calls with His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday.
