Jordan king warns of ‘red lines’ in Jerusalem

• Jordan’s King Abdullah II has’ red lines’ if Israel changes Jerusalem’s sacred sites.
• Netanyahu will appoint his most conservative cabinet ever.
• Since 1924, Jordan has had custody of Jerusalem’s sacred sites.

As Israel prepares to swear in its most right-wing cabinet, the king of Jordan warns he’s ready for conflict if Jerusalem’s holy sites are changed.

King Abdullah II told in an exclusive interview this month that there is “concern” in his country about those in Israel trying to push for changes to his custodianship of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem, warning that he has “red lines.”

“If people want to get into a conflict with us, we’re quite prepared,” he said. “I always like to believe that, let’s look at the glass half full, but we have certain red lines… And if people want to push those red lines, then we will deal with that.”

The new cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is anticipated to be the most right-wing in Israeli history and to include controversial personalities who were previously thought to be on the extreme edge of Israeli politics.

As a result, there have been worries expressed about the possibility of an increase in Israeli-Palestinian violence as well as the future of Israel’s ties to its Arab neighbors and Western friends.

The possibility of a fresh Palestinian revolt against Israel is raised by the fact that this year has already been the deadliest for Palestinians and Israelis in over 20 years.

“We have to be concerned about a next intifada (uprising),” said the king. “And if that happens, that’s a complete breakdown of law and order and one that neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians will benefit from. I think there is a lot of concern from all of us in the region, including those in Israel that are on our side on this issue, to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

When Israel and Jordan signed a peace deal in 1994, Israel legally acknowledged Amman’s unique position at the city’s sacred sites.

Israel had taken East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war. However, since then, there has been tension between the two, with Jordan frequently accusing Israel of breaking the deal that gave them administration of the sites and prohibited non-Muslims from praying there.

Since 1924, Jordan’s Hashemite monarchy has had custody of Jerusalem’s sacred sites and saw itself as a guarantor of the rights of Muslims and Christians to practice their respective religions in the city.

The area where Muslims refer to it as the Haram Al Sharif and Jews refer to it as the Temple Mount is where tensions are at their peak.

The third holiest mosque in Islam, the Al Aqsa Mosque, is located there. Additionally, it is the most sacred place in Judaism. Right-leaning Israeli politicians frequently assert that Jews ought to be able to pray there as well.

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