Amman (Agencies) – King Abdullah II of Jordan affirmed on Monday that Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank undermine de-escalation efforts and threaten to exacerbate the conflict.
He also warned of their repercussions on regional stability.
This came during a meeting between the Jordanian monarch and former British officials
and members of the British Parliament. The meeting addressed key regional developments.
Primarily, it focused on the situation in the West Bank.
Warning against entrenching settlements
The Jordanian news agency Petra quoted the King as affirming that “Israel’s illegal measures,
which seek to entrench settlements and impose sovereignty over the land,
undermine efforts to achieve calm and threaten to exacerbate the conflict.”
The talks also addressed the United Kingdom’s role in supporting efforts to restore stability in the region.
In addition, developments in Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, Syria, and Iran were discussed.
Official Jordanian condemnation
For its part, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the measures taken by the Israeli government.
In an official statement, it affirmed that “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied West Bank.”
The statement quoted the ministry’s spokesperson, Fouad Majali, as saying that “all Israeli measures in the occupied West Bank, and the violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem, are illegitimate and illegal.”
Majali called on the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities.
Furthermore, he urged them to compel Israel, as the occupying power,
to halt what he described as the dangerous escalation and unilateral actions in the occupied territories.
New Israeli steps
The Jordanian stance comes days after the Israeli Security Cabinet approved measures to facilitate settler purchases of land in the West Bank.
Prior to this, on Sunday, the Cabinet gave the green light to launch a land registration
and settlement process for the first time since 1967, according to Israeli military radio.
These steps raise concerns about a new political and security escalation in the West Bank.
This is happening amid regional and international warnings
about the repercussions on the chances of de-escalation and the resumption of the political process.
