02 Dec 2020; MEMO: Jordanian King Abdullah II affirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and the importance of continuing to strive towards achieving a just and comprehensive peace accepted by the peoples, based on international law and legitimacy.
This came in a message that the Jordanian monarch sent to the Chairman of the UN General Assembly's Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Cheikh Niang, on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, celebrated on 29 November of each year.
The Jordanian king said: "Holy Jerusalem and its sanctities have been and will remain the focus of our attention and care," adding that "the guardianship will remain a duty and a historic responsibility that we cherished for more than 100 years."
As the guardian of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, King Abdullah II stressed that Jordan, in coordination with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and with the support of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, will continue to assume this responsibility and work to boost the steadfastness of the Jerusalemites.
It was reported last week that Jordan is alarmed by what it sees as a rush to formalise ties between Saudi and Israel. It fears that the custodianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque could be offered to the Saudis to sweeten a deal between the occupation state and the absolute monarchy on Jordan's southern border.
Israel and Saudi Arabia have reportedly engaged in secret meetings since last December, regarding including Saudi representatives in the Islamic Waqf Council at the Al-Aqsa Compound in Jerusalem.
