2024-08-06 08:22:16
In a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden today, Jordanian King Abdullah II drew attention to what he called “hostile acts” by Israeli settlers against Palestinians who threaten the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem, Reuters reported.
The Hashemite dynasty of King Abdullah is the guardian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no change in policy on Jerusalem’s holy sites, which are also sacred to Muslims, after a far-right Israeli cabinet minister indicated that Jews could pray there.
The Old City complex in Jerusalem is home to both the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is the third largest shrine in Islam, and the Jewish Temple Mount, which is the remains of two ancient temples.
Under a ten-year fragile “status quo” under an agreement with Muslim authorities, Israel allows Jews to visit the compound but not to pray there. This complex is at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and proposals for Israel to change the status quo have led to violence in the past.
“His Majesty warned of extremist settler violence against Palestinians, as well as unilateral Israeli measures that undermine prospects for peace and harm the historical and legal status quo of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, which could fuel violence in the region,” he said in statement Jordanian royal court.
King Abdullah II also discussed with Biden the need to de-escalate tensions in the region and “establish comprehensive pacification to avoid regional war,” the statement added.