King Abdullah: Israel Harms Jerusalem
Israeli policy in Jerusalem is harming the city’s holy sites, Jordan’s King Abdullah said.
Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency on Thursday quoted the king as telling clergymen from Jerusalem in Amman that “Israel’s acts of radicalization harm the holy places” in Jerusalem. “The coerced emigration of Arab Christians and Arab Muslim from the Holy City is unacceptable.”
Jordan, he reportedly said, would “continue to defend the holy places and check the Israeli unilateral moves which aim to change the city’s identity.”
Jordan ruled East Jerusalem, in which two mosques important to Islam sit on the Temple Mount, from 1948 until 1967. After the Six Day War, Israel annexed East Jerusalem.
The king also said that he would act to “consolidate a firmer and more efective Islamic stance in light of these infringements,” the Petra report added.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
