The European Union has praised Jordan for protecting Jerusalem’s holy sites, despite the fact they stop Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount, limit the number of the Jews to the site and have a long history of anti-Semitic actions in Jerusalem in recent history.
The EU High Representative/Vice-President, Federica Mogherini, released a joint press statement with Ayman Al Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan, saying:
Today we will focus on how to bring the Middle East Peace Process forward. We will have the opportunity to listen to your views that coincides largely with our views. The European Union has been very clear in its position and very much united.
As the Elder of Ziyon blog points out, “It sounds like she is saying that the EU and Arabs all largely agree on what is needed for peace. It is only those pesky Israelis who are against peace.”
The statement continues:
Let me say, today in particular, one word on the closure yesterday of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in protest to certain Israeli steps planned or announced. We hope that a solution can be found quickly. Jerusalem is a holy city to the three monotheistic religions. This special status and character of the city must be preserved and respected by all. And I am saying this, in particular, standing next to you, as His Majesty [Abdullah II] King of Jordan has a very special role – a very appreciated role – when it comes to the Holy Places in Jerusalem. He knows that he can always count on our full support. And I think that the developments yesterday showed that there is a special attention we need to pay to this aspect.
There are number of problems with this. When Jordan illegally occupied East Jerusalem from 1948 until 1967, they denied all Jews access to their holy sites. Note that this is not “Israelis”, but “Jews”. During that time Jordan also destroyed more than 50 synagogues and desecrated the world’s oldest and largest Jewish cemetery.
Today, the Jordanian Waqf overseas the Temple Mounts and seeks to limit the number of Jews who visit their most holy site. On top the Waqf has imposed a complete ban on all Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount. Note that this is only Jewish prayer, not Israeli prayer. Muslims can pray without a problem showing a complete religious discrimination. They even banned a guide from the Temple Mount after he said “Temple Mount” on the Temple Mount.
On top of all of this, the Waqf has been carrying out illegal excavation work thorughout their time overseeing the mount. Throughout the years they have also carried out illegal excavations on the Temple Mount, they have removed thousands-of-tonnes of ancient stones and within that destroyed countless Jewish religious artefacts.
None of these actions by Jordan should be accepted by any global body, let alone given “full support” of by the European Union.
