King urges unified Arab position to stop escalations in Jerusalem

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday received members of the Arab League’s ministerial committee tasked with galvanising international action to counter illegal Israeli measures in Jerusalem.

During a meeting at Husseiniya Palace attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, King Abdullah stressed the need to unify, coordinate, and step up Arab efforts to halt escalations in Jerusalem, reiterating the need for Israel to respect the historical and legal status quo in Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, and safeguard the rights of Muslim worshippers.

His Majesty reaffirmed that Jordan continues all efforts to safeguard Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, under the Hashemite Custodianship, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The King expressed appreciation for Arab leaders’ stances in calling for calm in the Palestinian Territories, and in supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, as well as the Hashemite Custodianship.

His Majesty urged further efforts to prevent the recurrence of any form of escalation.

The King was briefed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on the committee’s emergency meeting held in Amman to discuss means to counter the Israeli escalation at Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, and galvanise joint action to halt Israeli violations at holy sites, end the violence, and restore calm.

The committee is chaired by Jordan and includes Tunisia, the president of the Arab League’s current cycle, in addition to Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Qatar, Egypt, and Morocco.

The meeting, convened by Jordan and held with the participation of the Arab League’s secretary general, also included the attendance of the United Arab Emirates, as the Arab country which is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.