Jordan ready for conflict if 'red lines' in Jerusalem are crossed, warns King Abdullah

As Israel prepared to swear-in what is one of the most right-wing government in its history, King Abdullah II of Jordan has warned the incoming government not to cross Jordan’s “red lines”, in a reference to Jerusalem’s holy sites. He said that he is ready for a conflict in case the status of Jerusalem’s holy sites change.

Abdullah, in an interview with CNN, said that the people in his country are concerned that those in Israel will try to push for changes to his custodianship of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem.

“You always have those people that will try and push that and that is a concern,” Abdullah said without mentioning names.

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“If people want to get into a conflict with us, we’re quite prepared,” he told CNN. “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.”

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Jordan considers itself the custodian of the Temple Mount. Incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition includes controversial figures, such as Otzmah Yehudit chief Itamar Ben Gvir, who want Israel to assert its sovereignty over the Jerusalem holy site and opening Jewish worship there. This sets up the potential for an escalation in Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Islam’s third-holiest site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is located at Temple Mount. Jews also believe it to be the historic location of the two Jewish temples, making it Judaism’s holiest location. While only Muslims are allowed to worship within the compound, Jews can visit the site, but not pray there.

Israel captured the Temple Mount and Jerusalem’s Old City from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War. But the Jordanian Waqf was allowed to maintain religious authority there. Under their 1994 peace treaty, Israel recognized Amman’s “special role… in Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem.”

In case changes are made to this agreement, the situation might escalate and spread to the wider Muslim world. However, the coalition deal stipulates that the status quo “with regard to the holy places” will be preserved.

(With inputs from agencies)

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