Jordan holds intensive contacts to stop escalation

Jordan on Saturday stepped up diplomacy to stop the escalation in Jerusalem and carry Israel to rescind unilateral moves that infringed its international and legal obligations as the occupying power.

Minister of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs, Ayman Safadi, discussed with Arab counterparts the situation in Jerusalem and ways to deal with the crisis, including Jordan’s call for an emergency Arab foreign ministers meeting.

In a phone call, Safadi and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry underlined the need to end the tension in Jerusalem by fully and immediately reopening the Al-Aqsa Mosque to worshipers, calling for Israel to respect the legal and historical status in the holy places and restore calm in the holy city.

The foreign minister also discussed Jerusalem with his Saudi counterpart, Adel al-Jubeir, Kuwait’s Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah, Algeria’s Abdelkader Messahel, Khemaies Jhinaoui of Tunisia and Lebanese foreign minister Jubran Baseel.

Safadi was also coordinating with Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat and discussed with him, over the telephone, steps to deal with the crisis, especially the call for an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers.

Safadi and Erekat emphasized the need to remove the electronic gates Israel had installed and cancel all the actions it had taken in an attempt to impose new facts on the ground.

Safadi briefed his Arab counterparts on contacts and diplomacy, led by His Majesty King Abdullah, the custodian of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, to restore calm, stop the escalation and protect the holy sites.

The foreign minister continues coordination with Arab League Secretary-General, Ahmed Abul-Gheit, to convene the foreign ministers meeting.

Also in a telephone call with his Spanish counterpart, Alfonso Dastis, minister Safadi called for collective world efforts to restore calm through the removal of all obstacles Israel had placed before worshippers and ensure their right to freely practice their religious rituals and respect the historical status quo at Al Aqsa Mosque.

He stressed the need for prompt action to end the crisis, warning against the consequences of tampering with Jerusalem and the holy shrines.

Source: Fana News