The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned in the strongest terms Israel’s decision to freeze the bank accounts of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, denouncing it as a grave escalation and a violation of the Patriarchate’s historic rights.
In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry said the freezing of accounts and the accompanying assaults on Christian worshippers “constitute a blatant violation of the centuries-old rights of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.”
The Ministry warned that these practices represent “a dangerous escalation that worsens the situation and violates the historical and legal status quo governing the Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.”
Ambassador Sufyan Qudah, spokesperson for the Ministry, stressed Jordan’s “absolute rejection and condemnation of these violations,” underlining that Israel, as the occupying power, “bears full responsibility for the ongoing escalations and violations.” He added that the measures “represent a flagrant breach of international law and humanitarian law,” cautioning of “their grave repercussions and the threat they pose to regional stability and security.”
Qudah called on the international community “to assume its legal and moral responsibilities, and to take immediate and effective steps to pressure Israel to cease its violations and respect its obligations under international law.” He further emphasized the need to preserve the historical and legal status quo of the holy sites under the Hashemite Custodianship.
Concluding his remarks, Qudah reaffirmed that “achieving a just and comprehensive peace, through the two-state solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, is the only path to security and stability in the region.”
