King reiterates support for Jerusalem, peace efforts

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday met with a delegation of Jerusalem Awqaf Department, clerics, and Muslim and Christian Jerusalemites, a Royal Court statement said.

During the meeting, attended by HRH Prince Ghazi, the King’s personal envoy and religious affairs adviser, His Majesty asserted that he will continue his efforts to support the steadfastness of Jerusalemites in the holy city and to achieve peace that leads to establishing an independent Palestinian state on the Palestinian land with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He stressed that protecting Muslim and Christian holy places in Jerusalem is a priority for the Kingdom, highlighting the importance of preserving the historical status quo of the city and rejecting the unilateral measures that target the city’s identity.

The King said that peace is a strategic Arab solution that was reiterated during the latest Arab summit, stressing that the Arab Peace Initiative represents a comprehensive solution to achieve peace that ensures the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 lines. 

During the meeting, which was continued over an iftar banquet, King Abdullah underscored the need to find real political horizons to advance towards a solution to the conflict, by launching serious and effective peace talks to realise the two-state solution, which is considered the only viable solution on the table.

The King said he appreciated US President Donald Trump’s commitment to working for peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, adding that Jordan will do what it can to support the president’s peace efforts.

He noted that Trump’s decision not to move the US embassy to Jerusalem proves his seriousness and commitment to reaching a peaceful agreement that ends the conflict.

For their part, the Jerusalem Awqaf Department, clerics, and Muslim and Christian Jerusalemites expressed their appreciation to Jordan’s role, led by His Majesty, in supporting Jerusalemites and protecting the city’s Muslim and Christian holy shrines.

Sheikh Abdul Azim Salhab, who heads the Jerusalem Awqaf Council, said that Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif is passing through the most difficult time since the occupation 50 years ago, stressing Jerusalemites’ rejection of the Israeli violations against the sanctuary.

He expressed appreciation to His Majesty’s efforts in facing those violations on all levels, such as efforts through UNESCO and other parties. 

Director General of Jerusalem Awqaf and Al Aqsa Affairs Sheikh Azzam Khatib noted that the major project is the renovation of the mosaic plates of the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque, adding that experts have testified that such a project is unrivalled in the past 500 years. 

Participants in the meeting thanked the King for his personal funding of a project to renovate the Tomb of Christ at the Church of Sepulchre, after 200 years of the last maintenance works conducted on the site. 

Among the speakers was Minister of Jerusalem Affairs at the Palestinian Authority Adnan Al Husseini, who expressed the Palestinian leadership’s appreciation of His Majesty’s efforts to protect Jerusalem against the frequent acts of aggression by the Israeli occupation authorities against its shrines and support of Jerusalemites. 

Chairman of the Jerusalem Committee at the Arab Joint Committee at the Knesset Ahmad Tibi warned of Israeli policies that have seen a decision to ban the call of Muslim prayers and the allegation that Al Aqsa is the location of the so-called Jewish temple, policies that might trigger a religious war. 

Other speakers highlighted the Muslim-Christian coexistence and the shared values among all Palestinians of different faiths, along with projects and initiatives launched by Jordan such as a twinning between the Jerusalem University, Islamic Awqaf and churches in the holy city, a project supported by HRH Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad.