Blinken stresses the need to preserve the status quo in Jerusalem
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken
The US State Department said in a statement today, Tuesday, that Secretary Anthony Blinken discussed the latest incidents of violence in Israel and the West Bank with his Jordanian counterpart and stressed the need to preserve the status quo in the holy sites in Jerusalem.
"Secretary Blinken stressed the importance of preserving the historic status quo in Jerusalem, and his appreciation for the special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as the guardian of the holy Islamic sites in Jerusalem," ministry spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
He added that Blinken also discussed with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi the importance of the Israelis and Palestinians working to end violence and refrain from escalatory measures.
In statements to reporters, he indicated that a number of US officials had telephone contacts with Israelis, Palestinians and Arab representatives in the region at the weekend in an effort to prevent an escalation of tension in Jerusalem.
At least 152 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli police inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound last Friday, in the latest escalation of violence that has raised fears of a slide into a wider conflict.
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