Prime Minister Yair Lapid met Tuesday with Jordanian King Abdullah II on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
The two leaders were expected to discuss the security situation in Judea and Samaria, which has seen a number of terrorist attacks in recent months.
Before his meeting with Lapid, the Jordanian monarch used his address at the UN General Assembly to extol Jordan's role as the custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem and to warn against any changes to the status quo on the Temple Mount.
“The future of Jerusalem is an urgent concern. The city is holy to billions of Muslims, Christians and Jews around the world. Undermining Jerusalem’s legal and historical status quo triggers global tensions and deepens religious divides," Abdullah said.
He added: “The holy city must not be a place for hatred and division and as custodians of Jerusalem’s Muslim and holy sites we are committed to protecting the historical and legal status quo and to their safety and future.”
Abdullah said that the Christian community in Jerusalem is under particular threat.
“As a Muslim leader, let me say clearly that we are committed to defending the rights, the precious heritage of the Christian people for our region. Nowhere is that more important than in Jerusalem. Today, Christianity in the holy city is under fire. The rights of churches in Jerusalem are threatened. This cannot continue,” he said.