Jordan condemns Israeli activity at Western Wall

AMMAN — Jordan on Wednesday condemned Israeli authorities' continuation of activity on the Western Wall, which is an integral part of the Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Ministry Spokesperson Daifallah Fayez stressed that, in accordance with international law, the Jerusalem Awqaf Department (JAD) is the sole entity authorised to supervise the affairs of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif. 

All maintenance and restoration work on the 144-dunum Al Aqsa Mosque complex, which includes the walls, falls under the exclusive authority of the JAD, according to the ministry.

Fayez stressed that the occupation force must "respect its commitments in this arena and stop works immediately". Israel must respect Al Haram Al Sharif's historical and legal status quo, and will be held responsible for the integrity of Al Aqsa Mosque and its walls, the statement said.

The Foreign Ministry has sent a letter of protest to the Israeli side addressing the activity at the Western Wall.

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov on Wednesday discussed efforts to prevent the Israeli plan to annex Palestinian lands and combat its "unprecedented" danger to all efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region.

During talks held via videoconference, the two diplomats stressed rejection of the annexation, which constitutes a violation of international legitimacy and undermines the chances for achieving peace, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

They also stressed the importance of adhering to international legitimacy decisions as a basis for effective negotiations to resolve the conflict according to the two-state solution.

Safadi said that Israel's implementation of the annexation decision will “kill” all opportunities for achieving comprehensive peace, and constitutes a threat to regional and international security.

The annexation will perpetuate the occupation, “which must be terminated to witness an end to the conflict”, he added.

The minister stressed the importance of a solution that realises an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital on the June 4, 1967 lines, in accordance with the two-state solution adopted by the international community as the only way to achieve peace.

Safadi called on the international community to "move quickly and effectively" to prevent annexation and revive the prospects for achieving a just peace that is acceptable to all peoples and adopted by all Arab countries as a strategic choice.

“The whole region stands at a critical crossroads, where either a just peace will be achieved through the two-state solution or a long and painful struggle will exist as the inevitable outcome of the annexation decision,” he said.

The minister added that Israel's implementation of the annexation decision means choosing conflict over peace, as it will have "dangerous repercussions" on Jordanian-Israeli relations and on all efforts to achieve comprehensive peace.