Alarm bell over Haram Al Sharif

Jordan’s representative to the UN Security Council raised the alarm bell when she told this international body meeting on Tuesday that the continuation of the Israeli violations at the Haram Al Sharif compound, in East Jerusalem, could lead to other “bloody” wars, over and above the raging sectarian confrontations in the region.

The envoy drew attention to the Israeli violations at one of the holiest places for Muslims — which increased after the Gaza ceasefire — which include excavations in the area, trespassing on the holy compound and preventing Muslims from attending Friday prayers.

Secure in the knowledge that the world’s eyes are on the Islamic State’s advances and atrocities, Israel works even more unimpeded on its schemes to further dispossess the Palestinians — not that actions so far were ever seriously censured by the international community!

The risk that the Israeli sacrilegious acts at the Islamic holy places in East Jerusalem can ignite a violent confrontation  is all the more real given the fact that religious extremism and radicalism are on the increase in the region.

The Jordanian representative made clear that the holy sites in East Jerusalem  are a red line for the nearly 1.5 billion Muslims of the world who would not remain silent in the face of violations of their sanctity.

The UN Security Council should pay close attention to Jordan’s words of warning and adopt a resolution that puts an unambiguous end to Israeli violations of the Haram Al Sharif compound, and indeed all other religious sites in East Jerusalem, over which the Kingdom has jurisdiction.

Such resolution should be adopted under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter.

There can be no excuse for a lax reaction by the international community, which has to stop Israel’s flouting of international law and resolutions pertaining to East Jerusalem, at least.