The Jordanian-Palestinian brotherhood is important for confronting the Judaization of Christian and Islamic holy sites, representatives of the Jerusalem Waqf, Church Councils, Jerusalem residents, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told Jordan’s King Abdullah II in a meeting at Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman on Tuesday.
The attendees reportedly highlighted Jordan’s vital role in supporting Palestinians and the importance of “Hashemite guardianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem,” according to a statement by the Royal Hashemite Court.
According to the statement, the Director General of Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs, Deputy Chairman of the Jerusalem Endowments Council, Sheikh Muhammad Azzam Al-Khatib Al-Tamimi, praised the King for his rejection of displacement and resettlement of Palestinians in any form.
Furthermore, Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Theophilos III, spoke about the importance of Jordan’s custodianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, saying this ensures the fabric of the Holy Land is protected and its unique character preserved.Â
Threats to Christians
According to the Patriarch, Christians in the Holy Land are facing “a systematic campaign waged by extremist Israeli groups to seize church property in sensitive locations, in a systematic attempt to alter the demographic and spiritual character of Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land.”
He referred to “Christian Zionism” as a concept “alien” to Christianity, according to the statement explaining it to be a “movement that distorts the message of Christ.”
The Patriarch also lamented Israel’s imposition of municipal taxes on church property.Â
The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, similarly thanked the King for “safeguarding and preserving the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem” as well as for his commitment to the Palestinian cause.Â
He also stressed the importance of the “Jordanian-Palestinian brotherhood in confronting displacement and Judaization projects.”
William Shomali, Patriarchal Vicar of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, said the Catholic Church does not accept the “beatification of the land of Palestine in the name of the Jewish people based on the Torah, as Christian Zionism in America claims.”
He also extended praise to Palestinian students, given that the number of students registered on the Palestinian curriculum platform “WISE,” launched by the World Islamic Sciences and Education University under royal directives, has exceeded one million students.
The statement added that Shomali claimed the Palestinian people would not accept any other homeland.
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