Arab League Committee to discuss Jerusalem violence in Jordan

Country has been increasingly vocal in criticising Israel over its actions

Palestinians gather at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque complex after Friday prayers during Ramadan. AFP

Jordan will host a meeting of an Arab League committee given the task of “confronting Israeli illegal measures in occupied Jerusalem”, its Foreign Ministry said as most Arab countries condemned Israel actions in the holy city.

Violence has intensified in Jerusalem, parts of Israel and the occupied West Bank in the last few weeks.

In the latest bouts of violence, Palestinian extremists have killed 14 people in Israel, including two Ukrainians, while Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank killed about 26 Palestinians and hundreds of Palestinians at Al Aqsa Mosque were wounded by Israeli rubber bullets and stun grenades.

A Jordanian Foreign Ministry statement said the meeting will discuss “the dangerous Israeli escalation in the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque, and ways to confront it".

The committee is headed by Jordan and Tunisia, with Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Qatar, Egypt and Morocco as members. The Jordanian statement said the UAE will attend the meeting in its capacity as rotating member of the UN Security Council.

The meeting was agreed upon after consultations between Jordan, members of the committee and the Emirates, as well as Arab League secretary general Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the statement said.

Jordanian officials consider the kingdom as having a special role in guaranteeing religious freedom in Jerusalem, dating from the early 20th century, when religious leaders in Palestine awarded the Sharif of Makkah, the great grandfather of King Abdullah, custodianship of Al Aqsa.

Jordan's monarchy also derives a significant part of its perceived legitimacy from effective ‘custodianship’ of Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem.

The kingdom, a recipient of US aid, has been increasingly vocal in its criticism of Israel in response to what it regards as Israeli violations in occupied East Jerusalem. Israel has responded by saying Jordanian rhetoric encourages extremism.

Israeli worshippers and security personnel have entered Al Aqsa Mosque several times in the past few weeks, provoking Palestinian anger.

Addressing Jordan's mostly ceremonial parliament on Monday, Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh lauded “those throwing their stones at all of those Zionists who desecrate Al Aqsa Mosque with the protection of the Israeli occupation government".

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described Mr Khasawneh's remarks as grave, and as blaming Israel for the violence when Palestinians are throwing stones and wounding Israelis.

“This serves as a prize for the inciters, foremost of which is Hamas, who are trying to ignite violence here in Jerusalem,” Mr Bennett said.

As tensions between Jordan and Israel mounted, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken telephoned Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Tuesday.

An official US statement said the two men “discussed the importance of Israelis and Palestinians working to end the cycle of violence by refraining from actions and rhetoric that further escalate tensions".