For Jordan, Jerusalem is not merely a traditional foreign policy issue, but a central one directly linked to the Kingdom's security, national identity, historical role and legal and religious responsibility towards the city and its holy sites. Jerusalem is ever-present in Jordanian political consciousness and a cornerstone of its foreign policy. The Hashemite custodianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites forms the practical basis for this commitment. From this perspective, Jordanian diplomacy is active on Arab, Islamic, and international fronts to garner support, uphold Palestinian rights, protect the city's identity, and counter Israeli attempts to alter its legal, historical, and demographic reality. These attempts aim to impose unilateral realities that threaten its status, future, and the prospects for a just peace in the region, and that close the door to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

 

The ministerial meeting hosted by Amman to support Jerusalem reflected this proactive role. Jordan did not merely issue a political statement; it convened the foreign ministers of the Arab states that are members of the ministerial committee tasked with international action, with the participation of representatives from influential Islamic countries, including Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Malaysia. The primary objective was to transform Arab and Islamic concerns regarding the rapidly escalating situation in Jerusalem into a unified stance and a sustainable action plan.

 

This initiative is based on direct instructions from His Majesty King Abdullah, who, during his meeting with the committee members, emphasized that protecting Jerusalem requires a unified Arab and Islamic position, especially in light of the unprecedented Israeli measures at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Noble Sanctuary. His Majesty also warned against exploiting the crises plaguing the region to impose new realities in the city, and cautioned against the dangers of linking the escalation in Jerusalem with attempts to annex territory and expand settlements in the West Bank, which undermines the two-state solution and threatens the prospects for peace, security, and stability throughout the region. Jordanian diplomacy on this issue is based on three integrated tracks. The first track involves reaffirming the political and legal frameworks, foremost among them that East Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory, and that the measures taken by Israel there do not create legal rights or grant it sovereignty over the city. Jordan also affirms that East Jerusalem is the capital of the envisioned Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 borders, and that the two-state solution remains the only path capable of achieving a just and lasting peace. This position is based on resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, and rejects all attempts at annexation, settlement construction, displacement, or altering the identity and demographic composition of Jerusalem, in order to preserve Palestinian rights and prevent the entrenchment of the occupation.

 

The second track relates to protecting the existing historical and legal status quo of the holy sites under the Hashemite custodianship. Jordan considers the entire 144-dunum area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and its administration is overseen by the Jerusalem Waqf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf. At the same time, Jordan's responsibility extends to defending churches and Christian properties and rejecting restrictions on the access of worshippers and clergy to their places of worship.

 

The Hashemite custodianship is not merely symbolic; it provides a practical framework that prevents the occupying authorities from seizing control of the holy sites and imposing direct Israeli administration upon them. Therefore, Jordan continues to protest the incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, attempts to divide it temporally and spatially, excavations in its vicinity, and interference in the work of the Waqf (Islamic endowment), while simultaneously confronting attempts to seize church properties or restrict the activities of Christian religious institutions.

 

The third track involves building a broad diplomatic alliance that moves the Jerusalem issue from the realm of traditional statements to the arena of organized international action. These efforts include engaging with decision-making capitals, taking action within the United Nations and the Security Council, and coordinating between the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The outcomes of the Amman meeting also included a call for a high-level Arab-Islamic meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, with the aim of maintaining political momentum and expanding the scope of international pressure.

 

In this context, the importance of establishing a permanent institutional mechanism and a joint media platform to document Israeli violations in Jerusalem and present them to international organizations and global public opinion in compelling legal and media language is paramount. The battle over Jerusalem is no longer solely political; it has become a battle of narratives, images, and information, requiring a counter-narrative to the Israeli narrative with evidence and documentation, and highlighting the impact of violations on freedom of worship and the future of peace and regional security.

 

Jordanian efforts also place particular emphasis on strengthening the resilience of Jerusalemites, based on the understanding that protecting the city's identity cannot be achieved through diplomatic stances alone. Therefore, Jordan calls for supporting Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem, providing economic and developmental assistance to the residents, protecting their properties, and confronting policies of displacement, land confiscation, house demolitions, and the isolation of the city from its Palestinian surroundings. The continued presence of Jerusalemites in their city constitutes the first line of defense for its Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity.

 

Amman also employs responsible warnings to convince the international community that tampering with Jerusalem cannot be containedwithin the borders of the Palestinian territories. Attempts to alter the identity of Al-Aqsa Mosque or violate its sanctity could push the conflict from its potentially resolvable political framework into an open religious confrontation, with grave repercussions for the security of the region and the world.

 

With this action, Jordan affirms that defending Jerusalem is not a seasonal stance, but rather an ongoing state policy that combines legal legitimacy, Hashemite custodianship, and joint Arab and Islamic action. The Jordanian message is clear: sovereignty over Jerusalem is Palestinian, custodianship of its holy sites is Hashemite, and its protection is an Arab, Islamic, and international responsibility that cannot be postponed.