Al Aqsa Mosque undividable, unshareable — King

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday met with several Arab members of the Knesset and discussed efforts to end the Israeli violations at Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, according to a Royal Court statement.

During the meeting at Al Husseiniya Palace, His Majesty highlighted Jordan's stands supporting the Palestinian people and their cause, and stressed the Kingdom's efforts to defend Islamic and Christian holy sites in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

Jordan has recently, through intensified diplomatic efforts, achieved an international recognition from the UN Security Council of the term “Al Haram Al Sharif” instead of Israel’s “Temple Mount”.

His Majesty has warned that if Israeli provocations in Jerusalem continue, with attempts of Judaisation of the holy sites in the city, dangerous repercussions will befall the region as well as its security and stability, because such actions stoke religious strife. 

King Abdullah said Jordan would continue to counter all Israeli violations out of its religious and historical duty as well as the Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites.

His Majesty stressed Al Aqsa Mosque is not to be shared or divided.

The King condemned Israeli falsification of facts and attempts to justify its violations and acts of aggression to the rest of the world.

His Majesty stressed the important role of Arab leaderships in Israel in supporting efforts to protect Jerusalem and its sanctuaries.

For their part, member of the Knesset lauded the role of His Majesty and the Hashemites in protecting the holy Muslim and Christian sites in Jerusalem to preserve their Islamic and Arab identity. 

They said Arab community leaders in Israel are willing to play a more active role in supporting the peace process and stopping the Israeli acts, and recognised the significance of the King’s efforts during the past year to lift all Israeli restrictions preventing worshippers from entering Al Aqsa Mosque.

The meeting was attended by HRH Prince Ghazi, chief adviser to the King for Religious and Cultural Affairs and the King’s Personal Envoy, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, and Director of the King’s Office Jafar Hassan.

Knesset members who attended the meeting included Ahmad Tibi, Jamal Zahalka, Talab Abu Arar, Osama Saadi, and Aida Suliman.

In an interview with the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Tibi said members of the Jerusalem Committee of the Arab Joint List came to meet the King to put before him their view of the “dangerous plan” for Al Aqsa Mosque drawn by the Israeli government and the chairman of the Likud, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Tibi said the meeting highlighted the cooperation between the Jerusalem Committee and Jordan to preserve Al Aqsa Mosque as a place of worship for Muslims. 

Moreover, he noted the Arab Joint List thanked King Abdullah, Jordan’s government and the Jordanians for their efforts for Al Aqsa.