Israel Hosts Jordanian Air Force Pilots

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Jordanian Air Force pilots recently visited Israel as part of their military duties, media reports say.

Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994. The border along the Jordan Valley is Israel's quietest – stretching from Eilat through the Dead Sea and up to the Galilee.

Jordan's King Abdullah recently worked with Israel behind the scenes to help restore order on the Temple Mount. Jordan is officially the custodian of the Holy Place – known in Arabic as the Haram al Sharif – occupied by the al-Aksa mosque and the Golden Dome of the Rock.

The king also suggested the installation of 24-hour security cameras on the Temple Mount to help control the situation.

Nevertheless, according to the Israeli daily Ha'aretz, quoting Jordanian media, one Jordanian pilot refused to come and was fired.  That drew criticism on Jordanian social media. The pilot was quoted as saying he had joined the air force to fight Israel, not visit it.

Both countries took part in a joint air force exercise at a U.S. air base in Nevada in August.