Source refutes media reports on King's meeting with Israeli PM

AMMAN — An informed source on Thursday refuted news circulated on an Israeli media outlet about the meeting between His Majesty King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday, describing the new as “fabricated and baseless”.

The source told Al Mamlaka TV that His Majesty, during the meeting, stressed the importance of respecting the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites, noting that Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif has “full of copies of the Holy Koran that are provided by the Jordanian-run Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque Affairs Administration”.

He added that the administration, in its capacity as the exclusive legal institution to administrate the affairs of the mosque, implements its duties related to providing all equipment of Al Aqsa Mosque “despite the continuous” Israeli-imposed hurdles. 

The source noted that every single discussion with Israel regarding Al Haram Al Sharif is made within two aspects, the first, related to the Hashemite Custodianship on Islamic and Christian holy sites.

The second is concerned with the fact that Israel, as an occupying power under the international law, is the institution that has control on land and border crossing with the occupied Palestine, which requires talks with Israel to ensure its commitment to its responsibilities according to the international law and to reject any violations, he added.

The source added that Jordan, through its Foreign Ministry and in coordination with the Awqaf Ministry, follows up on all the affairs of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem with the aim to face any attempt to change the historical and legal status quo.

At Wednesday’s meeting, King Abdullah highlighted the need to create a political horizon to reach just, comprehensive and lasting peace, on the basis of the two-state solution, and bolster regional security, stability, and development, which must include the Palestinians.

The King also called for maintaining calm in the upcoming period, and respecting the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.