Amman: Secretary-General of the Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs (RCJA), Abdullah Kanaan, has stated that the painful anniversary of the arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque brings to light the ongoing series of Israeli occupation’s actions in Palestine and Jerusalem.
According to Jordan News Agency, Kanaan emphasized that these actions by Israel are aimed at erasing the Arab identity and Judaizing the city of Jerusalem. The arson attack, carried out by Israeli extremist Michael Rohan in 1969, underscores that the mosque, covering an area of 144 dunams, remains a significant target for the Zionist movement and the so-called “Temple” groups, which consist of over 80 organizations.
Kanaan, in his remarks to “Petra,” highlighted the support these groups receive from the extreme Israeli right, which forms part of a broader plan to demolish the mosque and construct the so-called Temple on its site. He warned that this poses a significant threat to the Arab and Islamic nations and their sacred sites.
On this anniversary, Kanaan noted RCJA’s remembrance of Jordan’s “steadfast and historic” efforts to support Palestine and Jerusalem, particularly referencing the custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites. He recalled the swift collaboration with the people of Jerusalem to extinguish the fire in 1969 and the subsequent restoration efforts, including the reconstruction of the Saladin Ayyubi pulpit, as ordered by the late King Hussein bin Talal.
Kanaan further mentioned that the pulpit was restored to its original place in the mosque during King Abdullah II’s reign in 2007. He reiterated King Abdullah II’s ongoing support for the people of Palestine and Jerusalem, ensuring their right to establish an independent state based on the June 4, 1967, lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
He also called on Arab and Islamic nations to unite in urging the international community and its legitimate organizations to enforce Israel’s compliance with all international resolutions concerning the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem.