Experts meet to discuss Israeli violations at Al Aqsa

AMMAN — Members of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (ISESCO) committee for archaeologists are gathering in Amman to document Israeli violations against Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

The three-day meeting, which started Tuesday and is being conducted in partnership with the Department of Antiquities (DoA), seeks to preserve Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites, which have been witnessing ongoing violations by Israeli settlers.

The meeting also seeks to examine current writing techniques of reports on the violations with the aim of maximising reach to the international community, according to an official ISESCO statement.

Speaking at the opening session, DoA Director General Munther Jamhawi said illegal Israeli excavations and attempts to Judaise Al Aqsa Mosque and its surrounding area are major national and regional concerns.

The Kingdom has maintained its commitment to preserving Jerusalem’s cultural heritage, through Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites, and a number of reconstruction projects and international agreements.

Jamhawi noted that Israeli aggression has prohibited Muslims entering Al Aqsa Mosque from freely practising their religion, in addition to repetitive and daily aggressions against visitors.

ISESCO representative Mohammad Younis underscored the need for “further collective efforts in combating Israeli violations”, adding that archaeological reports document all man-made constructive and destructive moves.

This consistent documentation means legal and technical reports can expose the “terrible violations” to the international community, he said, adding that the following step will be to present the reports at international conventions.  

A total of 11 experts from Jordan, Palestine, Egypt and Morocco are participating in ISESCO’s eighth meeting. Recommendations are expected to be released on Thursday.