Israeli occupation remains main threat — FM

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Tuesday said that there is no greater threat than the Israeli occupation and depriving Palestinians from their rights and an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In his remarks at the opening session of Fikr 16 conference in Dubai titled “Repercussions of Chaos and Challenges of Achieving Stability”, Safadi stressed that the Gulf countries are Jordan’s backyard in terms of security and the opposite is true.

At the conference, which was inaugurated under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, the minister reiterated Jordan’s rejection of external interference in Arab affairs.

He stressed the paramount importance of defending the legal and historic status of Jerusalem and its holy places from the Israeli attempts that threaten the Muslim and Christian identity of the holy city. 

“Jerusalem should be a glimmer of hope for peace,” he said, rather than an “ignition spark”, as it is holy for the followers of three monotheist religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Safadi also addressed several other issues including the crisis in Syria and Yemen, and the need to solve them politically, the need to enhance pan-Arab joint action and the fight against terrorism within a holistic approach.