Jordan Arrests BDS Activist Amid Gaza War, Sparking Outcry Over Free Speech and Pro-Palestine Advocacy

Watan-In a shocking scene where local repression intersects with official silence on crimes in Gaza, Jordanian authorities arrested activist Hamzeh Khudr, coordinator of the BDS campaign (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions against the Israeli occupation), at the height of the Zionist assault on Gaza.

What’s striking about the case is that the arrest was not due to incitement or violence, but simply because of his peaceful advocacy for boycotting the occupying entity. Khudr, who had become one of the most prominent youth voices promoting economic and academic boycott of Israel, was placed in solitary confinement without a fair trial, according to human rights reports. His arrest comes as part of a broader crackdown targeting pro-resistance activists and opponents of normalization with the occupation.

The arrest sparked widespread outrage inside and outside Jordan, especially amid growing contradictions in Jordan’s official stance: on one hand, those who support the Palestinian cause are criminalized, while on the other hand, meetings and coordination with the Israeli government continue under the guise of “regional cooperation” and “economic agreements.”

The BDS campaign is not a crime—it’s a globally recognized movement that advocates peaceful pressure against occupation. Instead of being protected as a political and moral right, in Jordan it is treated as a “security crime” met with suppression and harassment.

Amid rising arrests, international and local organizations are calling for the immediate release of Hamzeh Khudr and all detainees held for their political views, urging respect for freedom of expression and protest—especially on an issue as vital as Palestine.

So has Jordan chosen to side with the oppressor rather than the oppressed? Has the Palestinian flag become more dangerous than that of the occupation?