Jordan Times
Friday, October 9, 2009
Jerusalem provocations
threaten Jordanian-Israeli ties - Monarch
By Khetam Malkawi
AMMAN - His Majesty King Abdullah demanded that Israel stop all unilateral
actions that threaten holy sites in Jerusalem and the identity of the holy city,
warning that such actions threaten to destabilise Israel's relationship with
Jordan, inflame the Islamic world and jeopardise efforts to relaunch peace
negotiations.
In an interview on Tuesday with Israel's Haaretz newspaper, excerpts of which
were published Thursday, King Abdullah said that he had emphasised the
sensitivity and sanctity of Jerusalem with every Israeli prime minister,
including incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu, and the American government, according
to a Royal Court statement.
The holy city should be a symbol of coexistence among the three monotheistic
religions, he added.
The King also stressed the need to end settlement activities.
When asked whether he supports building a wall in Jerusalem, King Abdullah said
he did not believe in walls and that walls eventually come down.
King Abdullah said the status quo cannot be perpetuated, because "we are sliding
back into the darkness", stressing that it was difficult to be hopeful for the
region’s future without a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
as part of a comprehensive settlement between the Arab states and Israel.
"Because if there is no two-state solution, what future do we all have together?
Show me the future of Israel 10 years from now. Where do you want Israel to be
vis-ŕ-vis its relationship with Jordan and other Arab countries?" he asked,
noting that Israel has a choice between remaining "fortress Israel" and becoming
"part of the neighbourhood".
Asked about Jordanian-Israeli ties 15 years after the signing of the peace
treaty between the two countries, the King recalled the atmosphere that
prevailed in 1994 and the promise of peace, saying: "Our relationship is getting
colder."
King Abdullah attributed the gap between the two countries to the failure to
achieve comprehensive peace and to realise a two-state solution to the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Goldstone report
Jordan was among the countries that supported a request submitted by the
Palestinian delegation to the UN Human Rights Council to postpone a vote on the
Goldstone report, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh said on Thursday.
During a meeting with the Lower House Arab and Foreign Affairs Committee, the
foreign minister sought to clarify the reasons why Jordan supported the request,
responding to criticism from deputies who said that Jordan "voted to postpone
the report", which accused both Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes during
the December-January Gaza war.
Jordan fully supports the report, Judeh said, but agreed at the recent Geneva
meeting to follow the Palestinian delegation's request to delay a vote on it
until March 2010.
“Consultations took place among the Arab, Muslim and African groups and the
non-aligned countries on the draft resolution but the Palestinian request
prompted these groups to support the delay,” Judeh explained, noting that
Jordan's and other Arab countries' decision to respect a request by a member of
their group is in keeping with UN norms.
The Human Rights Council recently deferred voting on Justice Richard Goldstone's
report on the Gaza war, evoking mixed reactions from the international
community.
A four-member fact-finding mission headed by Goldstone, a former judge of the
Constitutional Court of South Africa, was appointed by the president of the
Human Rights Council in April this year to investigate possible war crimes
committed during the war.
In his 575-page report, Goldstone investigated 36 separate incidents that could
have constituted war crimes or crimes against humanity. The report holds both
Israel and Hamas responsible for war crimes. However, it is more critical of
Israeli troops for "targeting and terrorising civilians".
During the two-hour meeting, Judeh also reiterated that Jerusalem is a red line,
highlighting Jordan's role as the custodian of Al Aqsa Mosque and other holy
sites in Jerusalem.
“Jordan's diplomatic efforts prevented a disaster that was about to happen in
Jerusalem as Israeli security forces were preparing to break into Al Aqsa
Mosque,” the minister said.
He also briefed the committee on the diplomatic efforts exerted by the Kingdom
during the 64th meeting of the UN General Assembly last week in New York, and
the meetings he conducted with Arab and non-Arab ministers of foreign affairs to
discuss the Palestinian issue.