Jordan condemns Israeli policies in Al-Aqsa, Temple Mount, calls to end 'escalation'

Foreign ministers and representatives from Arab and Muslim nations meeting in Amman have condemned what they described as an Israeli "escalation" in Jerusalem. The group, including officials from Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, and Morocco, along with the League of Arab States secretary-general, criticized Israeli policies and actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Christian holy sites.

The participants alleged that Israel is attempting to change the "Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity" of Jerusalem. Specific accusations include efforts to alter the historic and legal status quo of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which sits atop the Temple Mount, and to impose temporal and spatial divisions. They also accused Israel of facilitating incursions by extremist settlers and Israeli ministers, restricting Muslim worshippers' access, assaulting worshipers, obstructing the Jerusalem Awqaf Department, and conducting illegal excavations.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi expressed grave concern, calling the situation a "constant threat." He warned that any tampering with the established status quo could ignite a religious conflict with repercussions extending far beyond Palestine and Jordan into the entire Muslim world. The representatives also reiterated their stance that East Jerusalem is part of Palestinian territory and should be the capital of a future Palestinian state.

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This is a constant threat, a dangerous threat that we’re trying to counter in every tool that we have possible. We warn that tampering with the status quo... could trigger a religious conflict that will reverberate beyond Palestine and Jordan into the whole Muslim world.