Amman, Aug. 5 (Petra) -- Jordan is continuing its longstanding efforts to support the Palestinian cause and mobilize Arab, regional, and international backing to halt what it describes as Israeli violations in the occupied West Bank and protect Jerusalem from attempts to alter its identity and historical status, according to Jordanian and Palestinian political figures.

At a meeting hosted by Amman on Tuesday, foreign ministers from Arab states represented on the Arab Ministerial Committee tasked with mobilizing international action in response to illegal Israeli policies and actions in the occupied city of Jerusalem and its Muslim and Christian holy sites, as well as representatives of the Arab League, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, and Malaysia, participants issued 14 recommendations calling on the international community to take action to stop Israeli measures against the Palestinians.

Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra) after the meeting's final communiqué was issued, political analysts said Jordan has consistently stood by the Palestinians and Jerusalem, adding that the ministerial gathering sent a clear message that Jerusalem remains a central issue in Jordanian and Arab policy because of its historical, religious, and legal significance.

Former Minister of Government Communication and Senator Sakher Dudin said Amman had brought together Arab states and several friendly countries in support of Jerusalem and the Hashemite Custodianship over the city's Muslim and Christian holy sites, a role Jordan has maintained throughout its history.

He said Jordan's hosting of the meeting underscored that Jerusalem is not a secondary issue in Arab policy but central to the region's historical, religious, and legal identity.

Dudin said the meeting came at a time of escalating actions targeting the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem, making a unified Arab position essential to reject any attempts to change the city's identity or impose new realities on the ground.

He said the meeting also reflected Jordan's pivotal role in protecting the holy sites through the Hashemite Custodianship, which has long overseen Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Muslim and Christian holy places while preserving Jerusalem's character as a city of peace and coexistence.

Jordan's efforts, led by His Majesty King Abdullah II, combine political, diplomatic, and legal action with the protection of the historical and legal rights of the Palestinian people, while emphasizing that safeguarding the holy sites is a shared Arab, Islamic, and Christian responsibility, Dudin said.

He added that, given the current regional tensions, the meeting sent a clear message that Jerusalem cannot be subject to unilateral measures and that respect for the historical and legal status quo remains essential to achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.

Former ambassador Lina Arafat said the recommendations issued at the meeting provide a solid basis for action in international forums aimed at pressing the Israeli authorities to end violations and uphold the rights of the Palestinian people to their land and holy sites while preventing changes to Jerusalem's historical and legal status.

She said the meeting reaffirmed Jordan's central role as the first line of defence for Jerusalem, noting that Jordan's leadership and people have consistently deployed diplomatic and legal efforts to support the resilience of Palestinians in the city.

Arafat said the meeting's reaffirmation of support for the Hashemite Custodianship was not merely a political position but recognition of the only internationally accepted legal and religious framework for protecting the holy sites and preserving their Arab and spiritual identity.

She added that the Hashemite Custodianship has, over the decades, acted as a barrier against attempts to alter the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque or change Jerusalem's historical character.

Zaid Eyadat, a professor of political science at the University of Jordan, said Jordan has repeatedly warned of developments in the occupied West Bank, describing them as critical to the future of the Palestinian issue, the rights of the Palestinian people, Jordan's national security, and regional stability.

He said the escalation in the West Bank, together with developments in Gaza, could further complicate the situation as Israel seeks to consolidate its control and alter conditions in the territory.

Eyadat said Jordan has responded by combining domestic preparedness with efforts to mobilize Arab, regional, and international support.

He described Tuesday's meeting as the outcome of His Majesty King Abdullah's sustained diplomatic efforts to highlight the centrality of the Palestinian issue, oppose Israeli measures in Jerusalem, and reject attempts to alter the city's historical and legal status, in line with Jordan's long-standing position supporting Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

He said the meeting's recommendations reaffirmed support for the Hashemite Custodianship and Jordan's role in protecting the holy sites, noting that this role has received broad international backing for decades.

Eyadat said Jordan's custodianship has helped preserve the holy sites, maintain their historical identity and legal status, and keep Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, and the Palestinian issue at the forefront of international attention.

Palestinian political analyst Saeed Mohammad Abu Rahma said Jordan's hosting of the meeting carried significant political and diplomatic importance because it came at a time of increasing Israeli measures affecting Jerusalem's historical and legal status, including repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, attempts to create new facts on the ground, and actions affecting the authorities responsible for administering the holy sites.

He said the significance of the meeting lay not only in condemning Israeli actions but also in seeking to elevate Jerusalem as an Arab, Islamic, and international issue, arguing that any change to the city's identity or the status of its holy places would have consequences extending beyond the Palestinian arena to regional security and stability.

Abu Rahma said the meeting reflected Jordan's diplomatic efforts and reaffirmed the Hashemite custodianship over Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian holy sites, which he said is based on historical agreements and legal arrangements.

He described Jordan as a stabilizing force that helps protect the city's religious and cultural diversity in the face of attempts to impose a new reality that could further increase tensions.

He added that the meeting formed part of Jordan's broader policy of building Arab and international support for the position that any future settlement of the Palestinian issue cannot disregard Jerusalem's status or the rights of Palestinians in the city.

According to Abu Rahma, the meeting also conveyed the message that Jerusalem remains at the heart of the conflict and reaffirmed Jordan's responsibility for preserving the city's religious and historical balance.

//Petra// AF

05/08/2026 21:04:01