Honouring Jordan’s custodianship

There is no end to Israel’s violation of human rights and life in occupied Palestinian territories, and no end to its expansionist policies.

What is happening at Al Aqsa Mosque at this point in time cannot but be seen as part and parcel of Israel’s ill-meant politics.

Those of us who were hopeful about the prospects of Palestinian-Israeli peace in the early-to-mid 1990s and who, out of a genuine desire to give peace a chance, supported the principle of a gradual solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, feel cheated.

The Oslo agreement, which was seen at the time as a first step towards total Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories and, later, a viable Palestinian state, turned out to be — as many had warned — an Israeli trick and a procrastination tactic.

One huge evidence of such an unfortunate conclusion is what Israel is doing at present to the territories from which it was supposed to withdraw according to Oslo, and which would be the home of the Palestinian state.

It is swallowing them inch by inch through a host of carefully calculated policies and measures: building and expanding settlements, confiscating land, continuously demolishing houses, attacking peaceful villagers, harassing Palestinian civilians, imprisoning and torturing Palestinian youth, disrupting Palestinians’ daily life, etc.

And now, the Israeli prime minister tells the British prime minister that he is willing to restart negotiations with no preconditions.

What about Israel’s obligations as per the Oslo agreement?

What about the many UN resolutions calling on Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupied by force?

There are obligations enshrined in agreements and international resolutions that Israel needs to meet before the Arabs and Palestinians agree to “negotiate”.

One such obligation is to honour Jordan’s custodianship over East Jerusalem holy sites.

Much of the chaos and violence happening at Al Aqsa, which is instigated by Israel’s ceaseless provocative measures and desperate Palestinian response to such measures, would have been averted had Jordan’s custodianship over the mosque and Jerusalem been honoured.

Jordan has a proven record of being a reliable peace builder and peace partner. It has honoured and protected the peace agreement it signed with Israel.

It has also done its best to protect and nourish the peace commitments it made and has done an admirable job as a peaceful neighbour to all countries in the region, including Israel.

In this very context, it has always stood firm — much to its detriment — in the face of pressure, both from popular and political circles in the country and outside, to scrap the agreement with Israel, in response to Israel’s continued provocations.

The least Israel should do is to show some degree of reciprocity.

It should respect and honour the commitment it made regarding Jordan’s custodianship and it should actively work to boost and strengthen it.

Israel should do so as part of an obligation, and it should do so because Jordan is worthy.

But, more importantly, it should do so because effective Jordanian custodianship is the only solution to the current problem.

Empowering Jordan as a custodian would ensure that order prevails in the said compound, that non-violent acts and reactions would not happen, and that visitors and worshippers would visit and worship in peace.

The Palestinian leadership recognises and respects Jordan’s role, and it has renewed this recognition a little over a year ago.

What is needed now is for Israel to take the necessary steps and allow Jordan to exercise its role.

It is in nobody’s interest to leave the situation as it is because it will lead to more violence, more disruption and chaos at one of the holiest shrines in the world, more Palestinian suffering and more damage to Israel’s already damaged image in the world.