AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday condemned
Israeli violations and escalatory measures at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al
Sharif, stressing the need to cease dangerous provocations against
Jerusalemites, which contravene international law and violates human rights, a
Royal Court statement said.
اضافة اعلان
In a phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,
King Abdullah expressed rejection of the Israeli authorities’ attempts to
change the demographics in East Jerusalem and alter the historical and legal
status quo, stressing the need for Israel to abide by international
humanitarian law.His Majesty reaffirmed Jordan’s ongoing efforts to safeguard
Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and the city’s Arab and Islamic
identity.
In a related development, the Foreign Ministry summoned
Israeli chargé d’affaires , to deliver a message of protest against the Israeli
acts, the ministry said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi stressed
the importance of reaching an “effective” international action to protect
Jerusalem, its holy sites, its inhabitants, and international law against the
illegal Israeli practices and their dangerous repercussions on security and
stability in the region and the world.
Speaking during talks with German counterpart, Heiko Maas,
Safadi said Israel bears responsibility for the dangerous escalation in
Jerusalem, adding that stopping escalation is the way to stop the illegal,
provocative and inhuman Israeli practices against the Palestinians and their
rights and against the holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.
East Jerusalem has seen nightly clashes during Ramadan, with
Palestinians pitted against Israeli occupation forces and settlers, according
to Reuters. The issues and the scale of the protests have varied, covering
religion, land, and politics.
The most recent demonstrations have been fueled by a
years-long bid by Jewish settlers to take over nearby Palestinian homes in
occupied East Jerusalem. A key Israeli court verdict that would have decided
the fate of Palestinians and their homes in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah
was postponed on Sunday, the news agency AFP reported.
His Majesty highlighted the importance of continued coordination with Arab states and all active stakeholders to put a stop to Israeli violations in East Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif.
The King reaffirmed Jordan’s firm stance towards the Palestinian cause, and its full solidarity with the Palestinians as they seek to gain their just and legitimate rights, stressing that the two-state solution is the only way to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and achieve a just and lasting peace.
Amid growing international calls for a de-escalation,
Tunisia said the UN Security Council was to hold a closed-door meeting Monday,
at its request, on the violence.
Four Arab countries that have normalized ties with Israel
over the past year — the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan —
all condemned Israel’s actions and voiced support for the Palestinians,
according to AFP.
The King also reaffirmed Jordan’s firm stance towards the
Palestinian cause, and its full solidarity with the Palestinians as they seek
to gain their just and legitimate rights, stressing that the two-state solution
is the only way to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and achieve a just and
lasting peace, the statement concluded.
Jordan has been on the go as the situation in Jerusalem has
escalated.
Some several hundred Jordanians held protests in Amman on
Sunday demanding the closure of the Israeli embassy, (see story on page 3).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hit back
at a growing chorus of calls from Russia, the EU, the US, and the Vatican to
de-escalate tensions. Netanyahu warned that Israel “would decisively and
responsibly impose law and order in Jerusalem,” AFP reported.
Some 121 Palestinians were wounded in overnight clashes on
Saturday, after some 90,000 Palestinians gathered for prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque,
with many hit by rubber bullets and stun grenades, the Palestinian Red Crescent
said.
The UN children’s agency UNICEF also reported that over two
days, 29 Palestinian children had been injured in east Jerusalem, including a
one year old.
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