Jordan condemns plans for train to Western Wall

Jordan condemns yesterday’s announcement by Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s office that authorities have given approval to move forward with a controversial plan to place a train station in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City.

Jordan called the move a “flagrant violation of international law,” according to the BBC.

Jordanian foreign ministry spokesman Daifallah al-Fayez urged the international community to “assume its responsibilities to resist the illegitimate and illegal Israeli steps,” the report said.

The plan involves extending the high-speed Jerusalem-Tel Aviv train line to the Old City. The plan would involve constructing two underground stations and excavating over two miles (three kilometers) of tunnel beneath downtown Jerusalem and under the politically and historically sensitive Old City.