Jordan Convenes Emergency Meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers Over 'Israeli Takeover' of Temple Mount
Jordan is convening an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries due to what it defines as an 'immediate threat' of an Israeli takeover of the Temple Mount. Amman warns that violating the status quo could ignite a major religious conflict.
Jordan will convene an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries tomorrow, Wednesday, against the backdrop of what it defines as an "immediate threat" of an Israeli takeover of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock compound in Jerusalem. In Amman, officials warned that such a development could ignite a broad religious conflict.
The meeting follows a series of entries into the compound by right-wing religious Jewish activists, which, according to Jordan, receive government backing and constitute a violation of the status quo at the site. Under the current arrangement, overseen by the Hashemite Kingdom, only Muslims are permitted to pray within the compound.
The British "Guardian" reported that on July 23, more than 2,000 right-wing religious activists, most of them settlers, entered the Temple Mount, led by Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir. According to Jordanian sources, participants held prayers and ceremonies throughout the compound, in what was described as the most severe violation of the status quo in the modern era.
The "Guardian" also reported that Jordan expressed concern regarding a recruitment drive recently held among "religious Jews for a special police unit on the Temple Mount."
"This is an ongoing and dangerous threat that we are trying to stop with all the possible tools at our disposal," Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told the "Guardian" newspaper. He added, "We warn that harming the status quo could ignite a religious conflict that will echo beyond Palestine and Jordan, throughout the entire Muslim world."
Safadi, who will host the emergency meeting on Wednesday with the participation of foreign ministers from Arab League countries, as well as Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan, stated:
"The entire international community needs to be aware of this. Jerusalem is a powder keg."
According to him, Jordan is working to highlight the danger, acting on a legal level, and seeking to increase awareness of the "immediate threat posed by the continuation of Israeli steps."
