A ministerial-level meeting in the Jordanian capital Amman on Wednesday rejected all Israeli sovereignty claims over Jerusalem and declared full support for Jordan's Hashemite custodianship over the holy sites.
The meeting was attended by members of the Arab Ministerial Committee tasked with combating Israel's illegal policies in Jerusalem, as well as the foreign ministers of Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan and Malaysia.
East Jerusalem is the Capital of Palestine
The joint statement issued after the meeting strongly condemned Israel's actions aimed at changing the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of occupied Jerusalem.
The statement said, "East Jerusalem is part of the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel has no sovereignty there. East Jerusalem is the capital of the independent Palestinian state to be established on the 1967 borders."
Status of Al-Aqsa Mosque Reaffirmed
The statement condemned all Israeli violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque, saying, "With its 144-dunam area, Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims." The exclusive authority of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Administration over this area was emphasized.
Violations against Christian holy sites were also condemned, and support was expressed for Jordan's historic Hashemite custodianship role over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
Urgent Call to the International Community
The statement warned that Israel's attacks hurt the feelings of nearly 2 billion Muslims and could trigger a religious conflict that could transcend regional borders. It called on the international community and the UN Security Council to take immediate action.
Decisions on diplomatic missions that violate Jerusalem's status were rejected, and it was announced that a joint initiative would be launched to form an effective international stance to stop Israel's practices.
New Steps Announced
It was announced that a media platform would be established to document Israel's violations. Additionally, a call was made for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League to hold a joint ministerial meeting during the UN General Assembly in New York in September to address Israel's dangerous escalation in Jerusalem.
Basis of Jordan's Custodianship Right
Jordan's right of supervision over religious affairs in Jerusalem is based on the Wadi Araba Peace Treaty signed with Israel in 1994. The agreement signed in 2013 between King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas granted Jordan the right of "custodianship and defense".
The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Administration operates under the supervision of Jordan, which is the last local authority before the Israeli occupation according to international law.
July Violation Data
According to data from the Jerusalem Governorate, 3 Palestinians were killed, 15 injured and 115 detained as a result of violations by Israeli forces in July. During the same period, 9,848 Jewish settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Palestinians state that Israel is trying to Judaize East Jerusalem and erase its Arab-Islamic identity, and they see East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state.
