Jordan spares no effort in defence of Jerusalem — FM

AMMAN — Jordan’s stance on Jerusalem was not an “instant act” but continuous course of action led by His Majesty King Abdullah, who spares no effort to support the holy city and the Jerusalemites in their steadfastness, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi said on Friday.

In an interview with Jordan TV’s 60 Minutes, the minister said that King Abdullah is the custodian of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and he has embarked on effective actions at all levels to limit the consequences of the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Jordan rejects the US move and considers it a violation of international law, Safadi added, as reported by the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

The Kingdom works in coordination with the Palestinian Authority and the Arab and Islamic countries to implement an international stance against changing the Arab identity of Jerusalem, and preventing attempts to establish new facts on the ground, said the minister.

As for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution rejecting the US government’s unilateral decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and to relocate the US embassy to the holy city, Safadi said the resolution is not binding but “we are talking about a political move”.

The US, he said, vetoed a Security Council resolution supported by 14 other UN Security Council members, a move expected, as the US itself took the decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem despite opposition from the majority of world countries.

Safadi reiterated Jordan’s stance that calls for realising the right of the Palestinian people in establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

The minister also emphasised that there can be no lasting peace in the Middle East without a just solution to the Palestinian issue adding that a recent meeting of Arab foreign ministers, which was convened at the request of Jordan, made it clear that it rejects the US decision.

Future actions, Safadi added, are aimed at exerting every effort at the Arab and Islamic levels with a clear strategy to limit the consequences of the US decision.

Safadi pointed out that an Arab ministerial committee will convene soon to look into next steps and shape a roadmap towards moving with the support of international community to affirm that Jerusalem is a final status issue, and can only be decided through negotiations in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.

He also stressed the importance of working jointly with the European Union and the international community to emerge from the political stalemate and to prevent further despair and cycle of violence that threaten the Middle East.

The top diplomat also called for activating the Jerusalem Fund, which was approved by the Arab League, through chanelling resources to preserve the Arab presence in the holy city and counter actions aimed at changing the status quo in Jerusalem.