Jordan condemns Israel’s Jerusalem violations

AMMAN — Jordan on Friday strongly condemned the continuous Israeli violations and provocations against Al Aqsa Mosque / Al Haram Al Sharif, especially the provocative break-ins by the Israeli forces and attacks on worshippers and employees of the Jerusalem Awqaf Department.

Minister of State for Media Affairs Jumana Ghunaimat said that these condemned and rejected practices violate the sanctity of this sacred place and provoke the feelings of the faithful and of Muslims all around the world, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Ghunaimat, who is also the government spokesperson, added that these practices represent disrespect by Israel, as an occupying force, to its commitments stipulated in the international and humanitarian laws and constitute a breach of all international agreements that call for respecting places of worship. 

In this regard, the minister stressed that calmness in Al Haram Al Sharif can be achieved through respecting the historical and legal status quo of the place and respecting the legal entity running the compound, the Jerusalem Awqaf Department, which is affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.

The Hashemite leadership is the custodian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Old Jerusalem. 

Ghunaimat held Israel responsible for the safety of Al Aqsa Mosque / Al Haram Al Sharif in the face of  the recurrent violations against the holy site, calling for an immediate halt to such provocations and for respecting the status quo of the holy sites.

On Saturday, the Muslim Brotherhood condemned the “crimes of the Zionist occupation” against Al Aqsa Mosque, which further escalated over the past few days and included closing the doors of the mosque and banning worshippers form entering, according to a brotherhood statement.

The brotherhood said that these heinous crimes and attacks against the mosque reflect the nature of the occupation that does not respect religions or the sacredness of religious shrines, the statement added.