© Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu AgencyPalestinians gather to perform Friday prayer at Masjid Al-Aqsa complex
East Jerusalem’s Old City on 6 November 2020
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has affirmed its custodianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque following concerns that
the fate of Jerusalem's Islamic sacred sites could be up for grabs in any future normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The concerns are particularly strong during these remaining weeks of the administration of US President Donald Trump.
The Foreign Ministry in Amman released a statement on Wednesday night challenging what it called "attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo" of the Noble Sanctuary of Al-Aqsa. The warning was issued without any apparent catalyst, but it came on the
back of a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mohammad Bin Salman.
The Saudi Crown Prince has denied that the meeting took place, even though it was reported in the Israeli and US media.The Jordanians are said to be alarmed by what they see as a rush to formalise ties between Riyadh and Tel-Aviv.
They fear that the custodianship of Al-Aqsa could be offered to the Saudis to sweeten a deal between the occupation state and the absolute monarchy on Jordan's southern border.
"The Kingdom will continue its efforts to protect and care for the mosque, and preserve the rights of all Muslims to it in compliance with the Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian holy sites," said the ministry.
A report in the
Guardian said that
Amman's statement followed a call between US President-elect Joe Biden and Jordan's King Abdullah. This suggests that Wednesday's statement was co-ordinated between the two men.
The status quo in the Holy City is that
the guardianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as the Dome of the Rock Mosque and other Islamic and Christian sites, is in the hands of Jordan, despite the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem. Changes to that are likely to trigger a violent backlash.
Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was on the aircraft with Netanyahu for the meeting with Bin Salman in northern Saudi Arabia earlier this week, are said to be tempted to change the status quo by offering the Muslim sites to Saudi Arabia as the centrepiece of a normalisation deal.Saudi Arabia is the "big prize" for Netanyahu, according to Jawad Anani, whose comments were reported by the
Guardian. The former senior royal aide and Jordanian foreign minister however, does not think that Riyadh will be as keen as Trump and Netanyahu to normalise relations under the current administration in Washington.
"I don't think the Saudis will be in a hurry to give Mr Netanyahu, or even Mr Trump right now, more credit," explained Anani, "because they have to deal with four years of a potentially not very friendly American administration [if they do]."
Comment: To the evictor go the spoils.
Israel's Jerusalem District Court ratified on Thursday the eviction of 87 Palestinians from the Batan al-Hawa area in Silwan in favor of the Israeli settler group Ateret Cohanim. This falls under the continuous Israeli procedures aiming at Judaizing the occupied East Jerusalem.
Ateret Cohanim had sued the residents of Batan al-Hawa, claiming that the land was owned by Yemeni Jews during the Ottoman period until 1938, when the British Mandate moved them due to political tensions.
The Palestinians responded that they feel like refugees in their own country. They added that before 1948, they owned lands and properties in Jerusalem, however, the Israeli authorities prohibit them from returning there.
Hagit Ofran, activist and director of the Peace Now's Settlement Watch team, expressed real concern that the settlers might attempt to implement the eviction order in the coming days before US president-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20.
Ofran ruled out Biden's capability of hindering the process, but hoped that it would be on his agenda.
Minister for Settlement Affairs Tzachi Hanegbi also announced that the Israeli government intends to go ahead with plans to legalize dozens of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank, many of which are built on privately-owned Palestinian land.
Peace Now affirmed that Benyamin Netanyahu's government is racing against time to ratify the construction of thousands of settlement units in the occupied Jerusalem and West Bank during this period.
In this context, Likud MK and former Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat has launched a plan to tighten the grip on Palestinian lands in terms of expanding the construction of settlements and industrial zones in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.
There is no question Neti is racing against time to achieve his goals, especially while the US election fraud is sucking the air off the planet. Coincidental? Perhaps, but the gargantuan distraction is proving damn useful! Never forget - Israel gifted us 9/11.
Comment: To the evictor go the spoils. There is no question Neti is racing against time to achieve his goals, especially while the US election fraud is sucking the air off the planet. Coincidental? Perhaps, but the gargantuan distraction is proving damn useful! Never forget - Israel gifted us 9/11.