Jordan urges world ‘to bear responsibility’ in halting Israeli aggression

AMMAN — Jordan on Friday condemned Israeli breaches in Al Haram Al Sharif and Al Aqsa Mosque, warning against any damage or alteration to the historic and religious heritage site in occupied Jerusalem.

Jordan's Permanent Representative at the United Nations Dina Kawar underlined the urgent need to address the situation in the occupied territories and halt Israel's practices against the Palestinians, as well as the occupying state's attempts to change the status quo in Jerusalem, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In her remarks at a UN Security Council (UNSC) session to discuss ongoing developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and measures to protect the Palestinian people, Kawar urged the UNSC to shoulder its responsibility in halting Israeli attacks on unarmed Palestinians in the territories. 

The ambassador called for taking effective measures to save the Palestinians and prevent the reoccurrence of these attacks.

She added at the meeting, called by Jordan on behalf of the Arab Group, that Israel’s security, and the security of its citizens, cannot be achieved at the expense of the Palestinian people and through “iron fist” control and punishment, both individual and collective, targeting the innocent.

Kawar reminded the UNSC that Palestinian lives are not cheaper than Israeli lives, and that the current Israeli aggression will not ensure Israel’s safety and security.

She also called on the UNSC to consider options for legal protection of Palestinians in the occupied lands in a way that can provide suitable ground for achieving a just and comprehensive solution and the end of occupation.

The envoy further expressed Jordan’s solidarity with the Palestinian people and highlighted the Kingdom’s commitment to safeguarding its historical and legal right to protect Al Haram Al Sharif, based on His Majesty King Abdullah’s custodianship of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, according to Petra. 

Security Council members expressed appreciation for Jordan’s call to convene the session, which they described as important, according to Petra.

US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, said that her country is worried about the current situation and denounced the violence in the West Bank and Gaza.

She noted that attacks on civilians are unjustifiable and that the US is committed to working towards a two-state solution, highlighting that the current situation highlights the importance of working to achieve the two-state solution, Petra reported.

Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour told the meeting that the issue of protection for the Palestinian people living under Israeli occupation “has become more urgent than any time before”, according to The Associated Press.

He warned that the escalating violence “threatens that the conflict will become a religious one that will destroy everything” and called on the council to implement Resolution 904 adopted after the Hebron Massacre, when Baruch Goldstein massacred 29 Muslim worshippers at Al Ibrahimi Mosque.

Resolution 904 calls on Israel, as an occupying power, “to continue to take and implement measures, including... the confiscation of arms, with the aim of preventing illegal acts of violence by Israeli settlers” and “calls for measures to be taken to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilians throughout the occupied territory, including... a temporary or international foreign presence...” according to the UNSC website.

Mansour urged the Security Council to immediately provide international protection for the Palestinian people, AFP reported.

Vitaly Churkin, Russian representative to the UN, said that the current situation has to be understood in light of the occupation, which has been in existence since 1967. He blamed Israel for the escalation of violence, emphasising its responsibility as an occupying force, Petra reported.

Nigerian Permanent Representative to the UN, Joy Ogwu, expressed her country’s support for the two-state solution and said that all relevant parties must commit to signed agreements, relevant international resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Angola’s permanent representative, Ismael Abraão Gaspar Martins, called on settlers to stop provocation and violence, and highlighted the importance of revived negotiations towards a two-state solution.

At the same meeting, Taye-Brook Zerihoun, assistant secretary general for political affairs at the UN, blamed Israel’s occupation and the diminishing prospects for achieving a Palestinian state for transforming “long-simmering Palestinian anger into outright rage”, AP reported.

He told the Security Council that the “stark reality” in the occupied territories has been compounded by increasingly dire economic conditions, including bleak employment prospects for Palestinian youth and expanding settlement activity. He warned Israel that the current crisis cannot be resolved by security measures alone, adding that “reckless statements” from both Israeli and Palestinian extremists were main instigators of violence.

He also blamed “the apparent heavy-handed approach by Israeli security services” and “the impact of social media” for the escalation, AP reported.

In a separate occurrence, US Secretary of State John Kerry called both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas late on Friday, expressing his deep concern about the violence and his support for efforts to restore calm. He also maintained that the US would remain engaged with both leaders to restore calm, according to AFP.

State Department Spokesman John Kirby described knife attacks by both Israelis and Palestinians as “terrorism” during a press briefing, adding that Israeli forces might have used excessive force. Kirby faced fire from Israeli officials for his comments, but President Barack Obama called on all parties to respect religious sites in Jerusalem, AFP reported.

Recent confrontations erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinian Muslims when the latter were prevented from attending prayers at Al Aqsa Mosque. Israeli authorities have prevented men under the age of 40 from entering Al Haram Al Sharif.

Since October 1, seven Israelis and more than 30 Palestinians, including several children, have been killed in the confrontations or Israeli attacks, according to the AFP.