Jordan, Palestine call for Security Council meeting on Israeli violations in Jerusalem

AMMAN — Jordan, as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, in coordination with Palestine, on Tuesday officially asked the council to hold an urgent meeting on the “dangerous” developments in East Jerusalem. 

The meeting is aimed at dealing with illegal Israeli practices and violations in Jerusalem and against the holy sites, a Foreign Ministry statement said. 

Argentina, which is currently the head of the council during October, decided to hold the meeting on Wednesday noon (New York time).

Jeffrey D. Feltman, the UN undersecretary general for political affairs, is scheduled to brief council members on the current situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Jordanian permanent mission to the UN, in coordination with other Arab diplomats, contacted UN Security Council members to discuss possible ways and procedures that would stop such Israeli practices. 

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh has been engaged in intensive contacts with all key powers at the international level to put direct pressure on Israel through sending clear and firm messages to Israeli authorities on the fallout of continued violations and break-ins into Al Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli violations at the shrine have continued over the past few months, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Israeli authorities repeatedly closed the gates of the mosque and prevented worshippers from entering. Also, they attacked the employees of the Islamic Awqaf Department in Jerusalem, obstructed their work and allowed extremist Jews to enter the mosque, under the protection of Israeli police, it added. 

In this context, Judeh made contacts with US Secretary of State John Kerry, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, foreign ministers and officials of UN permanent member states, EU officials and foreign ministers of countries who have recently visited the Kingdom, according to the statement.

Judeh demanded that the international community should shoulder its responsibilities to stop these violations and acts of aggression, and pressure Israel as an occupying force, to meet its obligations, under international law and international humanitarian law.  

He asserted that Jordan maintains its right to take all diplomatic and legal actions to stop the Israeli violations within the framework of its historic custodianship of Islamic and Christian sites.

Moreover, Jordan’s Ambassador in Tel Aviv Walid Obeidat on Sunday demanded the Israeli authorities to stop all violations and incursions into Al Aqsa Mosque as well as Israeli attempts to alter the status quo there. 

He noted that all such acts are incompatible with international law and international humanitarian law and if allowed to continue will ultimately imperil the peace treaty signed between Jordan and Israel 20 years ago. 

Furthermore, Judeh strongly denounced the Israeli government’s approval of building 1,060 new settlements in East Jerusalem, which was announced on Tuesday.

This is a stark violation of international law, mainly the Fourth Geneva Convention, and a strong blow to the efforts exerted to relaunch the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, he noted.