Judeh urges UN chief, world to stop Israeli violations in Jerusalem shrine

AMMAN –– Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh late Wednesday urged UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the international community to stop the Israeli violations in Al-Haram Al Sharif compound in Jerusalem.

According to a Foreign Ministry statement emailed to The Jordan Times, Judeh called the UN chief and delivered a “strongly-worded message” about continued Israeli violations and escalatory measures.

He cited the Israeli security forces’ storming the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Mosque this week, where they closed the gates and prevented worshippers under the age of 50 from performing their prayers in the holy shrine, including the mosque guards. They also intimidated Jordanian waqf staff and allowed Jewish extremists to desecrate the sanctity of the mosque, the third holiest place in Islam.

The minister stressed that such “flagrant violations would drag the region into a religious conflict, undermine the chances of achieving peace and nourish extremism, terrorism and violence in the region and the world.”

Judeh noted that His Majesty King Abdullah has directed the government to take all necessary measures, including legal action, to respond to these attacks and unilateral acts of aggression as Jordan Hashemite leaders have historically been the custodian of holy sites in Jerusalem.

In this capacity, the government will take all the necessary measures, including political contacts and legal options to counter the Israeli policies, as Israel is an occupation force and has dishonoured its commitments in that regard.

Judeh called on the United Nations, through its various agencies, and the international community to shoulder their responsibilities in line with the relevant international frameworks and conventions and intervene to stop these violations immediately.