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Israeli PM vows to keep status quo in al-Aqsa compound

Xinhua, October 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Saturday night that his government will not change the status quo in East Jerusalem's flashpoint al-Aqsa mosque compound.

The announcement came after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that Israel and Jordan have agreed on steps aimed to reduce tensions at the holy site, which have triggered a deadly Israeli-Palestinian wave of violence.

Kerry met over the weekend with Jordan's King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, after an earlier meeting with Netanyahu.

In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu said Israel is "recognizing the importance of the Temple Mount to peoples of all three monotheistic faiths -- Jews, Muslims and Christians," with Temple Mount referring to the Jewish name of the site.

"Israel re-affirms its commitment to upholding unchanged the status quo of the Temple Mount, in word and in practice," he said.

"As we have said many times, Israel has no intention to divide the Temple Mount, and we completely reject any attempt to suggest otherwise," he added.

The site resides in East Jerusalem, a land that was under Jordanian rule when Israel has occupied it in the 1967 Mideast War.

Israel later annexed East Jerusalem, in a move never recognized by the international community, but due to the sensitivity of the al-Aqsa compound, the site remained under the administration of the Jordanian Waqf, the custodian of the site.

Netanyahu said Israel "welcomes" the decision to increase the coordination between the Israeli authorities and the Jordanian Waqf.

He said this coordination includes steps to "ensure that visitors and worshippers demonstrate restraint and respect for the sanctity of the area, and all this in accordance with the respective responsibilities of the Israelis authorities and the Jordanian Waqf."

Israeli media reported that the steps include around-the-clock video monitoring of the site.

The recent spate of violence includes almost daily attacks by Palestinians and daily violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian youth protesters.

Ten Israelis have been killed in attacks, and at least 47 Palestinian were killed in clashes or following attacks.

The violence erupted a month ago, triggered by increased visits by far-right Jewish leaders to the al-Aqsa mosque compound and fears that Israel is plotting to take over the site.

The flashpoint compound is holy to both Muslims, who know it as the Noble Sanctuary, and to Jews, who know it as the Temple Mount. Endit