Netanyahu and Jordan king call for calm amid tensions

Israel has no plans to change the status quo at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount compound by allowing Jewish prayer there, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Jordan’s King Abdullah II Thursday.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s commitment to preserve the status quo on the Temple Mount as well as Jordan’s special status at the site,” a statement from the premier’s office said.

Both leaders “called for an immediate end to the violence and incitement,” the statement maintained.

Ahead of a meeting with Indian Home Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday, Netanyahu said that he had spoken with the Jordanian leader “and we agreed that we’ll do every effort to calm the situation.”

“We have to make every effort to restore calm, quiet and security. But I think we have to make that effort throughout the world,” he added.

The statement came as Israeli forces clashed with Palestinian protesters outside the Ofer military prison near Ramallah. The demonstration was called by Birzeit University students to protest Israeli actions on the Temple Mount, according to AFP.

Under the status quo at the compound, which is sacred to both Islam and Judaism, Jews are permitted to visit but not to pray there for fear it would cause friction at one of the most sensitive holy sites in the Middle East.

On Wednesday, Jordan told the UN Security Council that it was ready to take measures to stop Israeli actions on the Temple Mount in East Jerusalem after Israeli police clashes with Palestinians there on Wednesday morning.

“Jordan considers such serious and outrageous actions by Israel an unprecedented escalation,” said Ambassador Dina Kawar in a letter to the president of the Security Council.

Noting that Jordan had recalled its ambassador from Israel, the UN envoy added that “this is without prejudice to any further lawful steps and measures that Jordan will be taking to stop Israeli attacks against the Haram Al-Sharif” — the Temple Mount compound.

Earlier Wednesday, Jordan warned it will reevaluate its diplomatic ties with Israel, including its 20-year peace accord, in light of what it termed Israeli “violations” on the Temple Mount.

Government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani told Al-Jazeera that “all legal and diplomatic options are open in order to respond to the Israeli violations of the al-Aqsa mosque.”

The Hashemite Kingdom recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv and moved to file a UN complaint after police clashed with stone-throwing Palestinians at the holy site Wednesday morning.

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said Israel’s recent actions at the compound were “way beyond the limits.”

“These violations are infuriating the emotions and the sensitivity of 1.5 billion Muslims around the world,” he said Wednesday.

“Calm has to be restored. Israel has to respect the sanctity of the holy sites.”

The recall reportedly came after reports surfaced that Israeli police had entered the al-Aqsa Mosque on the compound and clashed with protesters inside the building.

The Waqf overseeing the Temple Mount claimed that Israeli police went deep into the mosque during its crackdown, all the way to the preacher’s pulpit — the furthest Israeli security forces have ventured since the 1967 Six Day War, Channel 2 reported. Israel said that its forces only went a few meters inside, where they saw a stash of stones, bottles, and Molotov cocktails that the demonstrators had prepared.

The Waqf is the Jordanian organization that administers the Temple Mount compound, which is the holiest location for Jews and contains Islam’s third holiest site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Jordan has responsibility for managing the mosque compound and other holy sites in the eastern part of the city. Its status as custodian is enshrined in its 1994 peace treaty with Israel.