Amman: His Majesty King Abdullah II received a delegation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church, led by Bishop Imad Haddad, the newly appointed head of the church in Jordan and the Holy Land. The meeting, which took place at Al Husseiniya Palace, was also attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II.
According to Jordan News Agency, King Abdullah reaffirmed Jordan's commitment to supporting the Christian presence in Jerusalem. This is in line with the Hashemite Custodianship of Muslim and Christian holy sites in the city. The King emphasized that Israeli actions impeding Christians' rights to worship and access holy sites were unacceptable.
The King lauded the Lutheran churches for their contributions to promoting justice and stability, and for defending the oppressed through their extensive network and presence.
Bishop Imad Haddad expressed the Evangelical Lutheran Church's continued support for the Hashemite Custodianship. He noted the church's longstanding relationship with Jordan, which began with recognition by the late King Hussein in 1959 and was reaffirmed by Bishop Munib Younan in 2013.
The delegation, including bishops from various countries and the president of the Lutheran World Federation, commended King Abdullah for his efforts in fostering interfaith dialogue and protecting the Christian community in the region. They highlighted the church's initiatives to counter the Christian Zionist movement and denounced the ongoing conflict in Gaza and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The meeting was attended by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, the King's chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, and Alaa Batayneh, Director of the Office of His Majesty.