PA and Jordan sign agreement to defend Jerusalem

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah have signed an agreement to defend Jerusalem and its holy sites. The deal was sealed when Abbas flew by helicopter to the Jordanian capital, Amman, on Sunday.

According to the Wafa Palestinian news agency, the PA’s Minister of Religious Endowments, Mahmoud Habbash, and his Jordanian counterpart Mohammed Nuh Al-Qudah witnessed the signing at the Hummar Palace.

Habbash told Wafa that the agreement set out the details of cooperation and coordination for the protection of Al-Aqsa Mosque along with all of the other Muslim and Christian sites in Jerusalem. He added that the agreement highlighted Jordan’s historical role in protecting holy sites and confirmed Palestinian sovereignty over all of Palestine, including East Jerusalem as the proposed capital of an independent Palestinian state.

Although the official reason for the unscheduled visit to Amman was not revealed, a spokesman for the president said that Abbas would also be holding talks with King Abdullah on the latest developments in the region, especially bilateral relations after the latest Arab League summit and US President Obama’s visit.