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Israeli seizure of Jerusalem’s holiest Muslim site is imminent
Story by Alex Croft
• 45m•
3 min read
Right-wing Israeli groups storm Al-Aqsa as Palestinians barred from worship
Jordan has warned that an Israeli takeover of one of Jerusalem’s most important Muslim sites is imminent and could trigger a religious conflict, according to a report.
The Jordanian government will hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from the Arab and Islamic world on Wednesday, as they look to address repeated incursions by Jewish religious extremists into the al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock compound.
Speaking to The Guardian, Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Sadafi said: “This is a constant threat, a dangerous threat that we’re trying to counter in every tool that we have possible. We warn that tampering with the status quo … could trigger a religious conflict that will reverberate beyond Palestine and Jordan into the whole Muslim world.”
Hardline Israeli government ministers, including police minister Itamar Ben Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, have frequently called for the site, known to Jews as Temple Mount, to be taken over by the Israeli state with the construction of a synagogue on its grounds.
On 23 July, Ben Gvir joined thousands of Jewish extremists as they stormed the site, escorted by police, praying, waving the Israeli flag and singing the national anthem. The move was described by Amman as “a desecration of the sanctity of the mosque, an escalation, a barbaric act, and unacceptable provocation”.
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Jordan has held custodianship of the site for more than 100 years, and Israel committed to honouring that agreement in a 1994 peace treaty.
But the decades-old status quo, overseen by Jordan's Hashemite royal family, is under serious threat. This year, dozens of Muslim mosque staff have their entry permits revoked, an Imam was been arrested by Israeli police during Friday prayer, and incursions by Jewish groups have escalated.
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has been condemned for making several visits to the mosque (Reuters)
Wednesday’s meeting will be attended by foreign ministers from Arab League countries along with representatives from Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan, Mr Safadi said.
“Jerusalem is a tinderbox,” he said. “We’re trying to explain the danger. We’re protesting legally. We are trying to create awareness of the imminent danger in the continuation of those Israeli measures.
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Amman fears a dramatic upscaling of Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign in the West Bank ahead of the October elections, the outlet reported. With the possibility of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government being ousted from power, its far-right elements may attempt to establish dramatic and lasting changes.
Around 2,000 people visited the site on 23 July, in a move that was fiercely condemned by Jordan (AFP/Getty)
Mr Safadi raised concerns of a mass deportation of Palestinians from the West Bank, in the worst case scenario, which could see a stream of rPalestinian refugees enter Jordan causing instability in the country.
“Our position that this is a red line that we will not allow to be crossed. We have made that known to everybody that we will do whatever it takes to prevent any attempt at Israeli displacement of Palestinians into Jordan,” heiadded.
“Not only will that be a violation of international law and of the right of the Palestinians to stay on their land, but that will also be a tremendous escalation.”
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