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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Officials in charge of Jordan's census were forced on Tuesday to remove Israel as one of the options for place of birth on their forms after huge public outrage.

The Ynet news site reports that public figures, politicians and trade unions all called for a boycott of the census, arguing that by offering Israel as an option, the officials were erasing Palestinian identity and normalizing relations with Israel and the Jews.

"The word Palestine must be written in place of Israel in accordance with the historical and political truth and in accordance with public opinion, which is against normalization of relations with Israel," said the Jordanian Communist Party in a statement.

"This is what can be heard on the streets of Jordan and it is impossible to concede on this at any time," said the chairman of the rebels' trade in Jordan, Hussam Musa.

Many Jordanian citizens threatened not to welcome the employees of the Central Bureau of Statistics, despite the fact that this could lead to fines or even jail time.

Dr. Mahlad al-Umari, a spokesman for the census bureau, responded Tuesday to the public outcry saying that there was no "politicization or normalization" by including Israel. However it was later announced that the option of Israel had been removed from census forms. "There are only six options besides Jordan - Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya," he said.

The Communist Party welcomed the move: "Officials corrected their historical and serious mistake."

*i24