King Abdullah of Jordan has said that the challenges facing the city of Jerusalem, including Israel’s attempts to impose a new demographic reality, require an active and firm Islamic stance to meet them.
Speaking to the Saudi Arabian newspaper Okaz while attending the Islamic summit in Makkah, the Jordanian head of state said, “The thing we are concerned about most, in light of the current impasse, is what the city of Jerusalem, the city of peace, is facing and what our people there are facing by way of Israel’s unilateral measures that threaten the identity and features of the city. These measures are attempts to impose a new reality on the Noble Sanctuary of Al-Aqsa, in addition to the continuing Judaisation and population displacement operations.”
He added that Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied city require a unified Islamic response, one that is more assertive and effective. It should, said the king, be in addition to doubling Arab efforts to support the resolve of Jerusalem’s Palestinian citizens and to ensure protection for the Islamic and Christian sites in the city. There is a need to stand firmly against Israel’s attempts to change Jerusalem’s demography and its legal status as a city under occupation.
King Abdullah pointed to the role of the international community to stop Israeli violations through assuming its responsibilities and addressing those practices which threaten international peace and security.
In the same context, the Jordanian monarch spoke about his country’s role in supporting Jerusalem and the holy sites. He included the efforts to protect occupied Jerusalem when Jordan included the holy city on the list of protected world heritage sites kept by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) nearly thirty years ago.