King Abdullah II of Jordan underlined on Sunday April 3 his commitment to "
safeguarding
" the holy places of Jerusalem, during a meeting in Amman with the city's Muslim and Christian religious leaders.
Jordan "
will always be with you
", assured the king when receiving a delegation led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
“
It is the duty of every Muslim to deter Israeli escalation against holy sites in Jerusalem
,” the ruler added, according to a statement from the Royal Palace.
Israeli-Jordanian tensions
The meeting came as tensions between Jordan and Israel escalated, following comments by an Israeli minister denying the existence of the Palestinian people and amid fears of an upsurge in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the month Muslim Ramadan fast which began on March 23.
The king underlined his commitment to preserving "
peace and harmony
" within the grounds of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, administered by Jordan.
This mosque is built on top of what Jews call the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism.
On Friday, March 31, Israeli police killed a 26-year-old Israeli Arab near the Al-Masjid compound, claiming he had tried to grab a policeman's gun, a version disputed by the family. young man.
Protection of Christians
This Sunday, King Abdullah also “
stressed the need to put an end to the displacement of Christians, as well as the repeated attacks against churches, religious figures and Christian properties in Jerusalem
”.
He also "
called on the international community to take a stand against the racist statements (...) made recently by certain Israeli officials
", according to the press release.
Last month, the Jordanian foreign ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to deliver a "
strongly worded letter of protest
" following a speech by far-right Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich.
“
There are no Palestinians because there is no Palestinian people
,” Bezalel Smotrich declared during a private visit to Paris.