perocity
03-26-2010, 08:14 AM
Source:AFP
AMMAN (AFP) – Israel is "playing with fire" in expanding Jewish settlements in annexed Arab east Jerusalem and attempting to alter the Holy City's identity, Jordan's King Abdullah II said on Thursday.
"We have warned repeatedly that Israel is playing with fire, and Jordan rejects and condemns all measures aimed at changing the identity of Jerusalem and the displacement of its Christian and Muslim Arab population," the king said in an interview with Jordanian journalists.
"East Jerusalem must be the capital of an independent Palestinian state which should be established as soon as possible.
"Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967 and, like the other occupied territories, it is subject to unilateral Israel actions that are illegal and illegitimate and will lead to further conflict," the king added.
The Israeli authorities on Wednesday gave the green light to 20 new homes in east Jerusalem.
The announcement came on the same day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US President Barack Obama at the White House, with ties between the two allies heavily strained over Israel's settlement policy.
The announcement of 1,600 more Jewish homes in another area of east Jerusalem during a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden earlier this month was sharply criticised by Washington and sparked an international outcry.
Abdullah said Israel's settlement policy risked damaging relations between Israel and Jordan, already "frosty" because of Israeli actions that threatened to "destabilise the region and put all Middle East peace efforts at risk."
The king said he hoped Washington would "devote special attention to peace efforts," underlining that an impasse in negotiations "will undermine the credibility of the United States and every country that supports a peaceful solution through negotiations."
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 which gave it the role of guardian of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in east Jerusalem, a role that Abdullah II said his country "would continue to fulfil."
AFP/File – Jordan's King Abdullah II, seen here during a visit to the White House in 2009, has warned that Israel …
AMMAN (AFP) – Israel is "playing with fire" in expanding Jewish settlements in annexed Arab east Jerusalem and attempting to alter the Holy City's identity, Jordan's King Abdullah II said on Thursday.
"We have warned repeatedly that Israel is playing with fire, and Jordan rejects and condemns all measures aimed at changing the identity of Jerusalem and the displacement of its Christian and Muslim Arab population," the king said in an interview with Jordanian journalists.
"East Jerusalem must be the capital of an independent Palestinian state which should be established as soon as possible.
"Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967 and, like the other occupied territories, it is subject to unilateral Israel actions that are illegal and illegitimate and will lead to further conflict," the king added.
The Israeli authorities on Wednesday gave the green light to 20 new homes in east Jerusalem.
The announcement came on the same day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US President Barack Obama at the White House, with ties between the two allies heavily strained over Israel's settlement policy.
The announcement of 1,600 more Jewish homes in another area of east Jerusalem during a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden earlier this month was sharply criticised by Washington and sparked an international outcry.
Abdullah said Israel's settlement policy risked damaging relations between Israel and Jordan, already "frosty" because of Israeli actions that threatened to "destabilise the region and put all Middle East peace efforts at risk."
The king said he hoped Washington would "devote special attention to peace efforts," underlining that an impasse in negotiations "will undermine the credibility of the United States and every country that supports a peaceful solution through negotiations."
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 which gave it the role of guardian of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in east Jerusalem, a role that Abdullah II said his country "would continue to fulfil."
AFP/File – Jordan's King Abdullah II, seen here during a visit to the White House in 2009, has warned that Israel …