WASHINGTON: Jordan’s King Abdullah, in a phone call on Monday with US President Joe Biden, warned of what he called “hostile acts” by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and “unilateral measures” that threaten the status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites.
King Abdullah’s Hashemite dynasty is custodian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was no change in policy regarding a Jerusalem site also sacred to Muslims, after a far-right cabinet minister said Jews could pray there.
The compound, in Jerusalem’s walled Old City, houses Islam’s third-holiest shrine, Al-Aqsa mosque, and is also revered in Judaism as the Temple Mount, a vestige of two ancient temples.
Under a delicate decades-old “status quo” arrangement with Muslim authorities, Israel allows Jews to visit but refrain from prayer. The site is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and suggestions that Israel would alter rules about religious observance there have led to violence in the past.
“His Majesty warned of extremist settler violence against Palestinians, as well as unilateral Israeli measures that undermine the prospects of peace and target the historical and legal status quo of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, which may fuel violence in the region,” the Jordanian royal court said in a statement.
King Abdullah also discussed with Biden the need for de-escalation in the region and “establishing comprehensive calm to prevent a regional war,” the royal court added.
Jordan’s king warns in call with Biden of Israeli ‘hostile acts’ in Jerusalem
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Jordan’s king warns in call with Biden of Israeli ‘hostile acts’ in Jerusalem
- King Abdullah also discussed with Biden the need for de-escalation in the region and “establishing comprehensive calm to prevent a regional war”
Senegalese president meets Kuwaiti crown prince ahead of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
- Bassirou Diomaye Faye visits Kuwait and the UAE this week to strengthen his country’s ties with Gulf nations
LONDON: The president of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, arrived in Kuwait on Monday for an official visit before traveling on to the UAE to participate in Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Faye, who was accompanied by ministers responsible for national transformation, African integration, foreign affairs, finance and water management, held talks with Kuwait’s crown prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, on a number of issues, officials said.
The president aims to strengthen ties between Senegal and Gulf countries during his visits to Kuwait and the UAE this week, his office said. And on Jan. 14 and 15 he will take part in the final two days of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, described as a significant annual, international event dedicated to addressing the challenges related to sustainable development, energy transition and innovation.
Faye was welcomed on arrival in Kuwait by the country’s prime minister, Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah; the deputy assistant foreign minister for African affairs, Naif Mohammed Al-Mudhaf; and other officials.
