FM conveys concern over Israeli unilateral measures to EU envoys

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Sunday called on the international community to take effective steps to pressure Israel to halt violations against Jerusalem's holy sites.

During a meeting with EU ambassadors to Amman over Israeli escalation in the holy city, Safadi warned against the grave implications of Israeli violations and its unilateral steps intended to change the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Safadi also reiterated that Israel must respect the status quo in the occupied holy city as well as in its Muslim and Christian holy sites, and stop breaching its obligations as an occupying power.

Talks also went over the Kingdom’s efforts to safeguard Jerusalem’s holy sites under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, who considers the holy city a “red line” and the key for sustainable and comprehensive peace in the region.

The top diplomat stressed that Israel’s “condemned and senseless” measures against the holy shrines provoke the feelings of Muslims and Christians in the Arab and Islamic worlds, he said.

Safadi stressed the need for stepping up the international community’s efforts to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, reaffirming that it is the sole path to peace.

The minister commended the European Union’s position towards the Palestinian cause in support of the two-state solution, as well as its adherence to international legitimacy, expressing gratitude for the EU’s support to UNRWA. 

Safadi voiced Jordan’s pride in its “solid” partnership with the EU in various fields, the statement added.

For their part, the EU envoys reiterated support for the two-state solution as the sole practical path to solve the conflict, appreciating the Kingdom’s efforts towards achieving regional security and stability, and expressing keenness to expand cooperation with Jordan in various fields.