Jordan has alternative responses to Israeli violations of Al-Aqsa

The minister of religious affairs and endowments in Jordan has said that his country has many alternative ways to respond to Israel’s ongoing violations of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Anadolu reported on Tuesday. Wael Arabiyat spoke to the Turkish news agency on the fringes of the Interreligious Dialogue on Diversity, Tolerance and Social Cohesion in the Arab Region conference being held in Amman.

The conference is sponsored by the UN Development Programme and King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID). It is being attended by Muslim and Christian experts and media professionals from 25 Middle Eastern countries.

Arabiyat also hailed UNESCO’s decision denying Jewish links to Al-Aqsa Mosque. The minister noted that this stresses that the Arabs and Muslims have full rights over the whole Noble Sanctuary in occupied East Jerusalem. “Al-Haram Al-Sharif [the Noble Sanctuary of Al-Aqsa] is not only the Southern [Al-Aqsa] Mosque,” he added. “Jews do not have any historic relation to the holy city.” He stressed Jordan’s right to custodianship over Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Last Wednesday, UNESCO approved a resolution which denies any Jewish link to Jerusalem’s Old City, including Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall. The resolution delegitimised any Israeli action which changes the Palestinian nature of the Old City and its surroundings.