Israel threatens Jordan at Al-Aqsa

It is not strange for Israel to attack Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif on the first day of Ramadan, cutting the wiring of loudspeakers at the time of the evening and tarawih prayers, and sabotaging the locks leading to the roof of the Islamic Museum. This is normal behavior for Israel.اضافة اعلان

Jordan continues to clarify its stance internationally and locally regarding Al-Aqsa Mosque, and its guardianship over it. The Jordanian ambassador to Israel, presented a letter of protest, and the government in Amman condemned the Israeli aggression. The Lower House’s Palestine committee also reprimanded the Israeli behavior.

It is clear that the Jordanian-Israeli relationship is going through a tough period, despite indications to the contrary, including ongoing economic normalization, water requests and importing of gas for electricity generation, and general export-import activities. Yet, Israel is still working towards consolidating its control over Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, in an attempt to influence the Jordanian guardianship.

Despite all the Jordanian statements of condemnation of Israel’s actions against Al-Aqsa, such as storming the mosque, preventing repair work, arresting guards, beating worshipers, and closing prayer rooms, Israel does not seem to be affected. It is not out of an underestimation Jordan, but due to Jordan standing alone in its bearing. The entire matter is entrusted solely to Jordan, with Arab or International support completely absent.

There is an alarming absence of Al-Aqsa crisis in the media, and in the leanings of governments, parties, political movements, parliaments, and international institutions of the Arab and Islamic world, although it is a pivotal matter to the Arab and Islamic socio-political and religious Identity.

There might be many reasons for this absence, but at the end of the day, it renders the file of Al-Aqsa Mosque to an issue that only concerns Jordan and the Palestinian people, especially those living in occupied Jerusalem, who are left to face this critical situation without support.

We have to openly address the possibility of reassessing the Jordanian-Israeli relationship, which is opposed by many parties, on the one hand for fear that the Wadi Araba Treaty is impossible to annul, and on another hand, because Israel would take advantage of any escalation on Jordan’s part to take full control of Jerusalem’s holy lands. There is also the matter of Israel holding control over Jordan’s main source of natural gas. Those opposing parties suggest that dealing with the Israeli actions should be through an entirely different approach in light of regional and international transformations.

In conclusion, silence about the Israeli conduct cannot continue, for this crisis is political on one front, as it is associated to who holds security sovereignty over Al-Aqsa, and religious on the other, concerning the mosque itself. This was evident by the occupation’s audacity to cut off the sound of the call for prayer, during such a sensitive time for the Islamic community, i.e. the month of Ramadan.

For seventy years, Arabs and Muslims have heralded their arrival to rescue Al-Aqsa Mosque and they have not come yet, which they would have by now if they had started on foot on the other side of the world — but metaphorical expressions change nothing of reality.

The only clear course of action for Israel is to take serious measures against the mosque at some point in the future, in order to write off the city’s religious identity.

Israel has always gauged the region’s reactionary force and found it weak and wanting, never hearing from anyone but Jordan, Jerusalemites and the rest of the Palestinian people; yet it may not realize that harming Al-Aqsa will result in severe results. Everyone remembers the stand Jerusalem took regarding the incident of electronic inspection at the mosque’s gates, during which Jerusalemites united and forced the Israelis to backtrack on the measures. The same determination was shown in the case of Bab Al-Rahma, among others.

Israel continues to provoke Jordan regarding Al-Aqsa, while waving the other cards it holds over them, such as water and gas. This indicates an unprecedented danger of Israel seeking to weaken Jordan through different means.