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Jordan urges US, EU to force Israel to stop escalation in Jerusalem

Xinhua, September 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Jordanian King Abdullah II on Tuesday urged the EU and the United States to force Israel to stop escalation in East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

The Jordanian king called U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to ask the United States to show a firm position towards the Israeli violation at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Also on Tuesday, King Abdullah discussed the Israeli violation with President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz over the phone, saying that Europe should exert effort at all levels to stop the Israeli aggression at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

At a meeting with tribal leaders on Tuesday, King Abdullah said Jordan will continue to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque, but the escalation will affect ties between Jordan and Israel.

From Sunday, Israeli forces have been storming the yards of Al-Aqsa mosque and clashing with Palestinians, in which many Palestinians have been arrested and injured.

Jordan signed a peace deal with Israel in 1994 and now overseas holy Islamic and Christian sites in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians envisage as the capital of their future state.

Al-Aqsa, the third holiest site for Islam, is located in the Temple Mount site which Jews revered as the place of their biblical temple.

Jews are allowed to visit the site but not to pray there. The Palestinians see these visits as a provocation and fear that Israel plans to claim the compound and demolish the mosque. Endit