It is not strange for Israel to attack Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram
Al-Sharif on the first day of Ramadan, cutting the wiring of loudspeakers at
the time of the evening and tarawih prayers, and sabotaging the locks leading
to the roof of the Islamic Museum. This is normal behavior for Israel.
اضافة اعلان
Jordan continues to clarify its stance internationally and
locally regarding Al-Aqsa Mosque, and its guardianship over it. The Jordanian
ambassador to Israel, presented a letter of protest, and the government in
Amman condemned the Israeli aggression. The Lower House’s Palestine committee
also reprimanded the Israeli behavior.
It is clear that the Jordanian-Israeli relationship is going
through a tough period, despite indications to the contrary, including ongoing
economic normalization, water requests and importing of gas for electricity
generation, and general export-import activities. Yet, Israel is still working
towards consolidating its control over Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram
Al-Sharif, in an attempt to influence the Jordanian guardianship.
Despite all the Jordanian statements of condemnation of
Israel’s actions against Al-Aqsa, such as storming the mosque, preventing
repair work, arresting guards, beating worshipers, and closing prayer rooms,
Israel does not seem to be affected. It is not out of an underestimation Jordan,
but due to Jordan standing alone in its bearing. The entire matter is entrusted
solely to Jordan, with Arab or International support completely absent.
There is an alarming absence of Al-Aqsa crisis in the media,
and in the leanings of governments, parties, political movements, parliaments,
and international institutions of the Arab and Islamic world, although it is a
pivotal matter to the Arab and Islamic socio-political and religious Identity.
There might be many reasons for this absence, but at the end
of the day, it renders the file of Al-Aqsa Mosque to an issue that only
concerns Jordan and the Palestinian people, especially those living in occupied
Jerusalem, who are left to face this critical situation without support.
We have to openly address the possibility of reassessing the
Jordanian-Israeli relationship, which is opposed by many parties, on the one
hand for fear that the Wadi Araba Treaty is impossible to annul, and on another
hand, because Israel would take advantage of any escalation on Jordan’s part to
take full control of Jerusalem’s holy lands. There is also the matter of Israel
holding control over Jordan’s main source of natural gas. Those opposing
parties suggest that dealing with the Israeli actions should be through an
entirely different approach in light of regional and international
transformations.
In conclusion, silence about the Israeli conduct cannot
continue, for this crisis is political on one front, as it is associated to who
holds security sovereignty over Al-Aqsa, and religious on the other, concerning
the mosque itself. This was evident by the occupation’s audacity to cut off the
sound of the call for prayer, during such a sensitive time for the Islamic
community, i.e. the month of Ramadan.
For seventy years, Arabs and Muslims have heralded their
arrival to rescue Al-Aqsa Mosque and they have not come yet, which they would
have by now if they had started on foot on the other side of the world — but
metaphorical expressions change nothing of reality.
The only clear course of action for Israel is to take
serious measures against the mosque at some point in the future, in order to
write off the city’s religious identity.
Israel has always gauged the region’s reactionary force and
found it weak and wanting, never hearing from anyone but Jordan, Jerusalemites
and the rest of the Palestinian people; yet it may not realize that harming
Al-Aqsa will result in severe results. Everyone remembers the stand Jerusalem
took regarding the incident of electronic inspection at the mosque’s gates,
during which Jerusalemites united and forced the Israelis to backtrack on the
measures. The same determination was shown in the case of Bab Al-Rahma, among
others.
Israel continues to provoke Jordan regarding Al-Aqsa, while
waving the other cards it holds over them, such as water and gas. This
indicates an unprecedented danger of Israel seeking to weaken Jordan through
different means.
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