Monitoring Desk
JERUSALEM: Jordan called the Israeli ambassador to Amman on Tuesday and registered a strong protest over the move of Israeli police to block the Jordanian envoy from entering a volatile holy compound in Jerusalem.
The incident quickly escalated tensions between Jordan and Israel and reflected the heightened sensitivity around the holy compound in Jerusalem.
The Foreign Ministry of Jordan said its ambassador to Israel, Ghassan Majali, was refrained from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque premises in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Differences between Jordan and Israel
Jordanian religious authorities administered the sacred compound as part of an unofficial agreement after Israel got control of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Israeli forces are responsible for security at the site.
The Israeli forces said that Majali arrived at the Al-Aqsa Mosque “without sharing any prior information with police officials,” compelling an officer at the compound entrance who did not recognize the diplomat to inform his commander regarding the unexpected visit.
While awaiting instructions from the commander, officers held up Majali and Azzam Al-Khatib. Israeli police said the ambassador refused to wait and decided to leave.
