Amman, Aug. 5 (Petra) — Lawmakers voiced support on Wednesday for
His Majesty King Abdullah II’s call for a unified Arab and Islamic
position to confront Israeli measures in Jerusalem, saying his
meeting with an Arab ministerial committee underscored Jordan’s
commitment to defending the city and the Palestinian cause.

In separate statements to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), members of
parliament said the meeting sent a political message that Jerusalem
remains a top priority for Jordan and that the international
community should respect the city’s historical and legal status.

They said the meeting aimed to bolster the resilience of the
Palestinian people, particularly residents of Jerusalem, and reaffirm
Jordan’s longstanding role in defending the Palestinian cause and
protecting Jerusalem and its Muslim and Christian holy sites.

The lawmakers said the king’s emphasis on the need for a unified Arab
and Islamic position in response to Israel’s illegal measures in
Jerusalem reflects Jordan’s consistent policy in light of what they
called growing threats facing the holy city.

They added that His Majesty King Abdullah continues to lead Arab and
international political and diplomatic efforts to protect Jerusalem
and its holy sites while defending the historical and legal rights of
the Palestinian people.

The lawmakers also said the Hashemite Custodianship over Jerusalem’s
Muslim and Christian holy sites represents not only a historical
responsibility but also the primary line of defense for Al-Aqsa
Mosque against attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo
in the city.

They said the king’s warning against efforts to impose a new reality
in Jerusalem highlights the need for urgent international action to
halt such measures and uphold international law.

His Majesty the King told members of the Arab Ministerial Committee
tasked with mobilising international action in response to illegal
Israeli policies and actions in the occupied city of Jerusalem that
Arab and Islamic countries should adopt a unified position and
coordinate efforts to halt what he described as unprecedented Israeli
actions in the city, particularly at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram
Al-Sharif.

The king also reaffirmed Jordan’s commitment to its historical and
legal role in safeguarding Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy
sites under the Hashemite Custodianship.

During the meeting, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah
II, King Abdullah warned against exploiting regional instability to
impose a new reality in Jerusalem and cautioned that continued
Israeli escalation in the occupied West Bank and attempts to annex
territory and expand settlements could widen the conflict.

First Deputy Speaker of the Lower House Khamis Atiyeh said the king’s
call for Arab and Islamic unity reflected Jordan’s clear
understanding of the challenges facing Jerusalem amid Israeli
policies that, he said, violate international law and established
norms.

Atiyeh accused the Israeli government of pursuing a systematic policy
aimed at changing Jerusalem’s Arab and Islamic identity through
actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque, settlement expansion, and the displacement
of Palestinians, warning that such policies could further destabilize
the region.

He said the king’s continued diplomatic efforts demonstrate that
Jordan will not remain idle in the face of these developments and
will continue leading Arab and international initiatives to protect
Jerusalem and defend the rights of the Palestinian people.

Atiyeh called on the international community to move beyond
statements of condemnation and take effective measures requiring
Israel, as the occupying power, to halt its actions and comply with
international law and United Nations resolutions.

He said Jordan, under His Majesty King Abdullah’s leadership, would
remain a steadfast supporter of Jerusalem and Palestine, adding that
attempts to alter Jerusalem’s identity or impose new realities would
fail in the face of Palestinian resilience, Jordan’s position, and
Arab and Islamic support for protecting the holy sites.

Lawmaker Mustafa Al-Amawi said one of the key messages from the
king’s meeting was the reaffirmation of the Hashemite custodianship
over Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy sites, describing Jordan’s
role in the city as political, historical, and religious.

He said the meeting also stressed the importance of coordinating Arab
and Islamic positions, particularly in light of current developments
affecting Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, while reinforcing
international diplomatic efforts to halt Israeli actions against the
city and its holy sites.

Al-Amawi said support for the Palestinian cause and the protection of
Jerusalem have consistently featured in King Abdullah’s meetings with
international leaders and during his overseas visits.

He added that the meeting also sought to support the resilience of
Palestinians living in Jerusalem, saying their continued presence is
important to the viability of a two-state solution and sends a
message to the international community regarding restrictions imposed
on Palestinians, including limitations on access to places of
worship.

According to Al-Amawi, the meeting reaffirmed Jordan’s central role
under the king’s leadership in defending Jerusalem and the
Palestinian cause while supporting a comprehensive and just
settlement based on the two-state solution.

He said the gathering conveyed a political message that Jerusalem
remains a Jordanian priority and that the international community
should respect the city’s historical and legal status.

Lawmaker Mustafa Al-Khasawneh said the king’s remarks reflected
Jordan’s longstanding principles regarding the Palestinian issue and
Jerusalem, particularly the historical and legal foundations of the
Hashemite custodianship.

He said the custodianship is more than a symbolic title, describing
it as a political and legal framework rooted in historical and
religious legitimacy dating back to the 1924 pledge of allegiance by
Palestinians to Sharif Hussein bin Ali and reinforced by the 2013
agreement between His Majesty King Abdullah and Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas, which he said provides an institutional framework for
protecting Jerusalem and its Islamic endowments.

Al-Khasawneh said the king’s repeated warnings against attempts to
exploit regional unrest to alter the historical and legal status quo
at Al-Aqsa Mosque come at a particularly sensitive time and reflect
growing concerns over Israeli policies in Jerusalem and the occupied
West Bank.

He added that Jordan continues to serve as a leading advocate for
Palestinian rights and called for broad Arab and Islamic support for
the Hashemite Custodianship as a basis for coordinated international
diplomatic efforts.

Lawmaker Aoun Al-Zoubi said the king’s call for a unified Arab and
Islamic position to halt Israeli measures in Jerusalem reflects
Jordan’s consistent commitment to defending Muslim and Christian holy
sites and its historical and legal responsibilities under the
Hashemite Custodianship.

He said the king’s warning against attempts to impose a new reality
in Jerusalem requires urgent international action to halt such
measures and uphold international law.

Al-Zoubi said Jordan would remain at the forefront of efforts to
defend Jerusalem, its holy sites, and the legitimate rights of the
Palestinian people.

//Petra// AF