Israeli-Jordanian border in Aqaba
Israeli-Jordanian border in AqabaiStock

Jordan on Sunday summoned the Israeli charge d'affaires of the Israeli embassy in Amman to protest the “ongoing Israeli violations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque”, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Yousef Bataineh, secretary-general of the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, stressed that the recent Israeli practices against the Al-Aqsa Mosque “contradicted international law and its historical and legal status quo”.

Bataineh urged Israel to stop such violations immediately, warning of the consequences of continuing provocations and escalation, the ministry said in a statement.

He urged the Israeli charge d'affaires to convey a message to the Israeli government that, under international law, Israel must adhere to its obligations “as an occupying power in East Jerusalem, stop the attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalemites, and cease evicting Palestinian residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood from their homes in East Jerusalem.”

Bataineh said Israeli court decisions on eastern Jerusalem are invalid and called on the Israeli authorities to respect the international law over this issue.

Jordan signed a peace deal with Israel in 1994 but has been critical of Israeli plans to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and has repeatedly stressed the importance of a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli conflict with the Palestinian Arabs.

The Jordanian parliament, which is made up mostly of Islamists, remains anti-Israel and its members have more than once called to annul the peace treaty. This decision, however, can only be made by the King.

Despite recent tensions between Israel and Jordan, however, a senior member of the defense establishment recently visited Jordan.