Consensus against US deal resounds across Kingdom

AMMAN — Several national institutions and departments on Wednesday expressed their rejection of the “Deal of the Century” announced by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

They also expressed their denunciation of any projects looking to settle the Palestinian issue that are not based on the two-state solution, relevant international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Senate President Faisal Fayez stressed that the Upper Chamber supports His Majesty King Abdullah's efforts to realise just and comprehensive peace in the region.

Fayez added that any peace initiative must guarantee the unaltered rights of the Palestinian people to establish a viable, contiguous and independent state on their national soil, with East Jerusalem as its capital on the pre-1967 borders.

The president expressed the Chamber's emphasis on the higher Jordanian national constants for any peace process, referring to His Majesty's three noes: "No alternative homeland, no settlement and no meddling with the Hashemite Custodianship of Jerusalem".

The Ministry of Awqaf warned against imposing a new status quo on Al Aqsa Mosque and Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

The ministry, in a statement carried by Petra, stressed that Al Aqsa Mosque is an Islamic waqf that cannot be shared with others and that non-Muslims have no right to enter the mosque, stressing that it will continue its role in defending the mosque and holy sites.

The Lower House's Foreign Committee said that the US’ biased stances towards Israel “will definitely affect the peace process in the region and the world”, requiring the international community to pressure the US administration to reconsider these decisions that will increase tensions and violence in the region. 

MP Raed Khazaleh, head of the committee, said that such plans to resolve the Palestinian issue will fail and collapse as long as there is a free will supporting the Palestinians' struggle to obtain their legitimate rights of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital based on the two-state solution and relevant international resolutions. 

The Lower House's Palestine Committee condemned the US peace plan and called on Arab peoples to unify stances and support Palestinians in their endeavours to establish their sovereign independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, according to Petra. 

The Muslim Brotherhood Society called for supporting the official Jordanian stance rejecting all items of the US peace plan.

The society also called on all Palestinian factions to disregard all disputes and on Arab and Islamic nations to offer material and in-kind support to the Palestinian people.

Chief Islamic Justice Abdul Hafez Rabtah referred to Jordanians' consensus with their leadership in offering all types of possible protection to Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, maintaining the Arab and Islamic identity of Jerusalem and defending Islamic and Christian holy sites, Petra reported. 

President of the Jordan and Amman chambers of industry Fathi Jaghbir said that industrialists support King Abdullah's efforts in his position on the US peace plan, calling on Palestinians to stand fast against such plans. 

Representatives of popular movements and civil society institutions at camps of Palestinian refugees in the Kingdom commended His Majesty's stances on the Palestinian issue, voicing their certainty that the US peace plan will fail, Petra reported. 

Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Wednesday said that any solution that undermines the rights of the Palestinian people is not viable and will only contribute to perpetuating turmoil and tension in the region.

Tarawneh’s speech came during his reception of Tunisian Ambassador to Jordan Khaled Suhaili.

Tarawneh and Suhaili discussed a number of issues of common concern, foremost of which is maintaining parliamentary coordination and enhancing cooperation and consultation between the two countries, Petra reported.

During the meeting, Tarawneh stressed the principles of Jordan under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah in defending Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause.

Jordan will remain supportive of its Palestinian brothers until they obtain their rights in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions that guarantee the establishment of their independent state on the borders of June 4, 1967, he said.

For his part, the Tunisian ambassador appreciated the solid Jordanian stance led by His Majesty King Abdullah towards the Palestinian issue, stressing the strength of Tunisia's stance in supporting Palestinians to obtain their legitimate rights in accordance with international resolutions.