Amman, August 20 (Petra) – Secretary-General of the Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs (RCJA), Abdullah Kanaan, said the painful anniversary of the arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque evokes the ongoing series of Israeli occupation’s crimes in Palestine and Jerusalem.

Kanaan added that these Israeli acts aim to obliterate the Arab identity and Judaize the holy city of Jerusalem.

Perpetrated by the Israeli extremist Michael Rohan, on this day in 1969, he said this arson attack confirms that the mosque, with its area of 144 dunams, was and remains a primary target for the Zionist movement and the so-called “Temple” groups, with its over 80 organizations.

In remarks to “Petra” on Wednesday, he added these groups are supported by the extreme Israeli right, as part of a dangerous plan to demolish the mosque and build the so-called Temple on its ruins, which poses a threat to the Arab and Islamic nation and its holy sites.

On this anniversary, Kanaan stated RCJA recalls the Kingdom’s “steadfast and historic” positions efforts in supporting Palestine and Jerusalem, referring to custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in this context.

These efforts, he noted “swiftly extinguished” the fire in 1969, in cooperation with the people of Jerusalem, and the reconstruction of the damaged areas, including Saladin Ayyubi pulpit, which His Majesty the late King Hussein bin Talal ordered to rebuild, based on its historical architectural form.

Kanaan said the pulpit was then returned to its place in the mosque during the reign of His Majesty King Abdullah II in 2007.

Kanaan remarked His Majesty King Abdullah II will continuously support people of Palestine and Jerusalem, and will remain a guarantor of their right to establish their independent state on the June 4, 1967, lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Additionally, he urged Arab and Islamic nations to unite their voices and demand the international community and its legitimate organizations to compel Israel to implement all international resolutions on the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem.
//Petra// AG

20/08/2025 16:31:36