The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Israeli ambassador in Amman, Eitan Surkis, and sent him a strongly worded letter of protest, after the occupation police prevented the Jordanian ambassador to Tel Aviv, Ghassan al-Majali, from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque, amid condemnation from the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
And the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, in a statement, "The Israeli ambassador was informed of a strongly worded protest letter to be conveyed immediately to his government, which confirmed the Jordanian government's condemnation of all measures aimed at unacceptable interference in the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque."
The statement added that the letter included a reminder that the Department of Endowments of Jerusalem and the Affairs of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque affiliated to the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites, is the legal authority with exclusive jurisdiction to manage all the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to regulate entry to it.
It was also emphasized that Israel, as the occupying power, must comply with its obligations in accordance with international law regarding the occupied city of Jerusalem and its sanctities, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to the same statement.
The occupation forces required the ambassador to obtain prior permission to visit, and Al-Jazeera learned from informed sources that the Jordanian ambassador protested against this procedure, and refused entry to Al-Aqsa Mosque by obtaining permission from the Israeli authorities as an occupying force.
The Jordanian-Israeli relations are witnessing tensions from time to time due to the Israeli occupation's attempts to change the status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque and prejudice Jordan's position as a sponsor of Islamic endowments.
Palestinian condemnation
For its part, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the occupation police's objection to the Jordanian ambassador, and considered in a statement that these measures are an extension of attempts to perpetuate the occupation's illegal interventions in everything related to Al-Aqsa Mosque, and its continuous measures to change the historical, political and legal status quo in Al-Aqsa.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said that preventing the entry of the ambassador is an attack on the powers of the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department of the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites, as it is the authority to manage all the affairs of the sanctuary.
Israeli response
On the other hand, the Israeli police said in a statement that the Jordanian ambassador arrived with the director of the Jordanian Waqf to the Temple Mount without any prior coordination with the police. Temple Mount "for a very short time".
The statement added that the ambassador was not denied entry, but decided to leave the place on his own initiative, and that if he had waited a few more seconds, he would have entered the Temple Mount area.
The police had never asked a Jordanian ambassador to coordinate in advance to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque.