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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - A number of popular restaurants in the Jordanian city of Aqaba have reportedly begun denying service to vacationing Israelis due to their country of origin, according to Channel 2 on Wednesday.

Israel and Jordan have enjoyed strong diplomatic ties since signing a peace treaty in 1994. As a result, Israeli tourists have taken advantage of affordable sightseeing destinations in Jordan, especially Aqaba which straddles Israel's southern border on the Red Sea.

But according to Channel 2, Jordanian locals are none too happy about their visiting Israeli guests, and restaurant owners have taken the extra step of refusing service them.

In one recent post to Facebook, a traveler recounts how she and a friend were forced to leave an unnamed Aqaba restaurant, being told by the owner that he "was not ready to serve Israelis" and telling them to "get out."

A brief review of travel sites zeroing in on Jordanian restaurants revealed to Channel 2 that this was not an isolated incident. Many Israelis have published negative reviews of top ranked restaurants in the Jordanian city, describing how they were barred from service and discriminated against based solely on their country of origin, warning other Israelis to stay away.

Following complaints made by the insulted tourists, a petition was sent to the Israeli Embassy in Amman asking them to look into the situation. In response, the mission said that it "will investigate the claims that we have received and seek a clarification as to why Israeli citizens were refused service."

"We will also turn to the Jordanian tourist authorities and relay the complaints to them," the embassy added.

*JP