In reaction to the recent tension in Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Jordanian government leveled baseless allegations against Israel's "continuous steps to change the historical and legal status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque" despite Israel's repeated reiterations of its commitment to protecting the freedom of worship for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
On April 17, 2022, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues a statement[1] saying that Israel's attempts to "impose the temporal and spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque" represent "a dangerous escalation and a condemned breach of the international law." The statement also noted that Israel bears "full responsibility for the dangerous repercussions of this escalation that undermines all efforts to maintain the comprehensive ceasefire and avoid more violence that threatens peace and security" and stressed that "Al Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims alone and that the Jordan-run Jerusalem Awqaf and Aqsa Affairs Department has the exclusive authority to supervise the holy site's affairs and manage entries."
The statement by Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs came a day after 76 members of the Jordanian parliament signed a petition[2] urging their government to cut diplomatic ties with Israel, shut down the Israeli Embassy, expel the Israeli ambassador, and suspend bilateral agreements with Israel. According to Ammonnews.net, the petition stressed that "Resorting to condemnation and disapproval of what is taking place in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque is an option that no longer matches the interest of Jordan or the aspirations and sentiments of the people of Jordan and most certainly does not match the sacrifices of those stationed at the front lines of Al-Quds [Jerusalem] and Al-Aqsa Mosque." The petition then saluted the people of Al-Quds "who have remained steadfast against the terrorist forces of the occupation and its actions..." the petition also urged the government to intervene at "a highest level to ensure the release of the imprisoned and kidnapped young men of Al-Quds [Jerusalem] who are taking part in Ribat [guard duty] and who are defending the dignity of the ummah [members of which were arrested] in Al-Aqsa Mosque."
Meanwhile, in an unusual article, Jordanian Senator Muhammad Hussein Al-Momani, who is also former Jordanian minister of media affairs and former government spokesman, condemned[3] "the extremists" for promoting violence to score political points and push for military confrontation with Israel. In the article, which was titled "Temple Mount During Every Ramadan" and was published in the Jordanian daily Alghad, the writer condemned those who criticize Jordan's official position on the recent tension saying it is an "advanced position, highly truthful, strong and nationalist" and described those criticizing it as "unfair and ungrateful."
The following are translated excerpts from the article.
"The pre-Ramadan efforts to ensure calm are relatively in place despite recent events, but no one can guarantee that the situation will remain calm because Ramadan and its last ten days are yet to come and the Jewish holidays are still ongoing."
Calm Will Benefit All Sides
"All sides will benefit from keeping the calm and tranquility in the sacred city. Jordan, which has custodianship, would like for the people of Jerusalem to practice their acts of worship as commanded by Allah in ease and peace and that's why it dedicates all its efforts to facilitating that. Jordan also believes that Jerusalem should be the definition of peace and harmony not infighting and violence.
"The Palestinians and their leaders want calm and non-violence in the sacred city after they expressed their commitment to do so, which would serve their interests and increase their credibility internationally. It would also create an atmosphere that would push the peaceful reconciliation efforts and revive the peace process.
"Israel too will benefit from maintaining calm in the sacred city as escalation would endanger the shaky government coalition and could lead to clashes with political costs internally and internationally."
Violence Serves Only The Extremists, Who Thrive On Blood And Oppose Peace
"The only forces that want violence and seek it are the extremist forces on all sides as extremist forces survive on violence and blood where they grow and they consider any initiative of calm and peace to be bad news because the atmosphere of peace and calm would besiege them and their inciteful discourse. These forces work day and night to fuel violence and to use the street to serve their political agendas, which are completely against peace and reconciliation. They want there to be no peace in order to score political points, to tell us the reconciliation project has failed, and that armed resistance is the best option, despite all the achievements of the political reconciliation project since Madrid; regardless of all its shortcomings, it remains 100 times better than what was achieved by the pre-Madrid armed confrontations in which we lost land, security, politics, and sovereignty repeatedly and continuously."
Jordan's Position Is Advanced And More Trusting
"It is disappointing that some political forces would criticize Jordan's official position. It is unfair and ungrateful as Jordan's position is advanced, more trusting, more powerful and more nationalist. Those political opportunists do not want to see the facts that do justice to the position of Jordan. They do not understand the seriousness of their actions. They do not only enrage the Jordanian government and people because of their ungratefulness and denial of its role but they shift our conflict and our battle with the occupier into a divisive internal battle, and in doing so they please the occupier and anger the friend."
