AMMAN -The emergency meeting of the Arab Ministerial Committee in charge of international action to confront illegal Israeli policies and measures in the occupied city of
Jerusalem, which was held in Amman Thursday, headed by Jordan, rejected any attack on Jerusalem's holy sites, or changing their identity, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, said, according to Jordan News Agency, Petra.
اضافة اعلان
In a joint press conference held with the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Riyad al-Maliki, Safadi noted the emergency meeting went over the dangerous Israeli escalation in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The discussions also touched on ways to de-escalate tensions to protect the city's holy sites and guarantee the worshippers' freedom to practice their religious rites in the holy month of Ramadan "freely and without restrictions, Safadi noted.
The meeting also sought to stop the violence and restore calm that all parties worked intensively to reach, Safadi pointed out.
Continuing:" The Arab countries have critical period to the end of Ramadan and our demands are clear in stopping attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, respecting the existing legal and historical status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif, and halting all practices that undermine this situation and constitute an attack on the mosque and worshipers."
Today's meeting reflected the fact that occupied Jerusalem and its sanctities belong to Arab and Islamic world, which doesn't accept any aggression against these holy sites, or any attempt to change its Arab, Islamic and Christian identity, Safadi pointed out.
During the past few days, all parties made "intensive" efforts to restore peace to Jerusalem and to enable worshipers to carry out their religious rites without restrictions or conditions, he said.
"Our demands were clear to stop attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, and respect the existing historical and legal status quo that preceded the year 2000, where Al-Aqsa Mosque - Al-Haram Al-Sharif in its entirety is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims and non-Muslims' visit to its compounds is made under management of Jordan-run Islamic Endowment Department in Jerusalem, he noted.
If these demands are achieved, this achievement will contribute to restoring calm and stopping the tension and violence that harms civilians and the brotherly Palestinian people and preventing them from carrying out their religious duties during Ramadan, Safdai pointed out.
Safadi added: "There is an absence of a real horizon for any progress towards a just and comprehensive peace for which we are all working to achieve. This has always been a perquisite to stop the occupation and establish the independent Palestinian state with occupied Jerusalem as its capital on the June 4, 1967 lines, on the basis of international law, Arab Peace Initiative and the references approved to end this conflict and make progress."
The absence of this political horizon is "very dangerous and its consequences are catastrophic, and we all agreed to work to take all available steps to protect Jerusalem and the holy sites," he pointed out.
Safadi said Jordan's moves to ensure respect for the historical and legal status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque - Al-Haram Al-Sharif did not stop, to preserve Jerusalem's holy sites and their Arab, Islamic and Christian identity.
In addition, Safadi noted Jordan's steps are "continuing," referring to the efforts made over the past weeks, and the contacts made by His Majesty with the heads of states and coordination with Arab leaders in the region.
Coordination is continuing with the region's FMs aimed to achieve the common goal, which is respecting the historical and legal status of Jerusalem's sanctities, stopping attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque - Al-Haram Al-Sharif, and halting violations on its yards and all escalatory measures, he noted.
"We have a clear position in condemning and rejecting escalation to restore the comprehensive calm that we all want to remind the world once again that the status quo in the occupied Palestinian territories cannot be sustained," he said.
The FM called on all parties to work "intensively" to find a real political horizon that re-launches a serious peace process that will achieve the two-state solution, which is the only way to achieve a just and comprehensive peace.
Safadi added:" The next ten days are sensitive, and we hope that non-Muslims will not be admitted to Al-Aqsa Mosque now as a step on the right path towards respecting the historical and legal status quo in all days of the year, to prevent facing the outbreak of the situation in every Ramadan and at all times."
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