Egypt and Jordan warn Israel once morest escalating tensions in Jerusalem
Israeli security forces stand guard in Jerusalem’s Old City on September 27, 2022 during the Rosh Hashanah holiday, the Jewish New Year. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)
Egypt and Jordan on Tuesday warned Israel once morest escalating tensions at Jerusalem’s holiest sites, accusing Israel of allowing “rapes” by Jewish visitors.
Small clashes broke out on Monday between Israeli security forces and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, as Jewish groups have been visiting the site on Monday and Tuesday. during the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it condemned “the repeated and escalating violations of the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, carried out by extremist Jewish elements in full view of the Israeli occupation forces.”
“The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of the extreme danger posed by the continuation of provocative practices in the vicinity of Islamic holy sites in [el] Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, as they further aggravate tensions, fuel violence and further hamper efforts to resume the peace process,” the ministry statement said.
Jordan, the official custodian of the compound and its holy sites, also condemned the conduct of Jewish groups and Israeli forces, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Haitham Abu Alfoul calling it “flagrant and unacceptable breaches of international law and the legal and historical status quo of Jerusalem and its holy places”.
“The continued violations and attacks on holy sites represent a dangerous trend that threatens to intensify further, with consequences for all,” he said.
Since Israel seized the Old City of Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967, a delicate status quo has existed in the complex known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as the Temple Mount.
It is the holiest place in Judaism for being the place where the first and second temples were located and, for being the seat of the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest place in Islam.
Under an agreement in place since 1967, only Muslims can pray at the site, although non-Muslims can visit during certain hours. Under the standstill agreement, Jordanian-appointed guards are to patrol the site, not Israeli security. Israeli leaders and officials have said they are “committed” to maintaining the status quo.
