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

On Wednesday, foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim nations convened in Jordan to deliberate on Israel's actions surrounding Al Aqsa, a development that bolsters Amman's stance as caretaker of the revered mosque, a cornerstone of Islam. This committee, established by the Arab League in 2017 to combat what it perceives as unlawful Israeli measures in Jerusalem, particularly at Al Aqsa, has convened multiple times under Jordanian chairmanship.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the discussions would concentrate on the most recent developments in occupied Jerusalem, aiming to forge a unanimous stance against the escalating Israeli measures threatening the city's identity and religious sanctities.

The participating states, numbering ten, include a committee established by the Arab League in 2017, of which Jordan assumes the mantle of chairmanship. Jordan and other Arab League members revere Al Aqsa as a strictly Muslim place of worship, notwithstanding the burgeoning presence of Israeli settlers who have been gaining access to the site to pray and conduct religious rituals since the inception of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Concurrently, Palestinian worshippers face heightened restrictions when entering the site. Recently, Israeli police erected an unauthorized canopy within Al Aqsa premises, ostensibly to shield settlers from the elements, a move Jordan denounced as illegal.

The deliberations in Amman were slated to "focus on the latest developments in occupied Jerusalem,” according to the Jordanian Foreign Ministry. The gathering aimed to craft a unified response to the intensifying Israeli actions targeting the city’s identity and its religious sanctities. Notably attending were the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia, alongside representatives from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Tunisia, Algeria, Somalia, Iraq, Palestine, and Morocco.

Under the auspices of a 2017 Arab mandate, the committee is mandated to orchestrate international efforts to thwart illegal Israeli policies and measures in occupied Jerusalem.

Al Aqsa, administered under a 2017 Arab League mandate, is a joint effort between Jordan and Israel, with the former tasked with overseeing the site's security. Under this arrangement, the Islamic trust, managed in a security pact with Israel since the 1994 peace treaty, strictly prohibits Jews from praying within the compound but permits them access to the nearby Western Wall.

The custodianship of Al Aqsa by Jordan holds significant weight in the nation's foreign policy, bolstering its stance in support of Palestinians and resonating deeply with the predominantly Palestinian population in Jordan. The contested grounds, venerated by Muslims, Jews, and Christians alike, serve as a flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

Jordan's claim to authority over Al Aqsa traces back to the custodianship granted by Palestinian religious leaders to Sharif Hussein bin Ali, a great-grandfather of King Abdullah, in the 1920s. Hussein, who championed fundraising efforts across the Middle East and beyond to restore the mosque, passed away in 1931 and is interred within its grounds.