King’s birthday an occasion to reflect upon efforts in support of Palestine — Kanaan

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah's birthday is an occasion to remember the King’s national and humanitarian work, and especially His Majesty’s role in supporting Palestine and Jerusalem, Secretary General of the Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs Abdullah Kanaan said on Monday.

In a statement on the occasion of King Abdullah's 61st birthday, Kanaan said that Jerusalem is one of the primary issues of focus for His Majesty, noting that King Abdullah has always been and will continue to adopt Sharif Hussein's commitment to Palestine and Jerusalem "regardless of the price," the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Kanaan noted that the key pillar of His Majesty's policy is an adherence to the two-state solution according to international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative which called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He also said that King Abdullah always, in international arenas and meetings, calls on Israel to commit to international legitimacy resolutions if Israel wants to live in peace, and urges Israel to refrain from its policy of unacceptable provocations that could lead the region into “an unpredictable religious war”.

Kanaan said that the Palestinian issue is mentioned in over 50 per cent of King Abdullah's speeches and meetings abroad, stemming from the King’s efforts to fulfill the duties of the Hashemite Custodianship and promote Palestinian issues to the global public. 

The secretary general of the Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs  also said that under His Majesty's directives, the Awqaf Ministry continues its efforts, through its affiliated departments in Jerusalem, to follow up on some 1,000 employees and more than 50 waqf (endowments) schools in Jerusalem.