WASHINGTON: During a meeting at the White House with Jordanian King Abdullah II, President Joe Biden emphasized his support for the legal “status quo” of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound.
The White House stated that during a private lunch on Thursday with Biden, the king, and Crown Prince Hussein, the US president “reaffirmed the close, enduring nature of the friendship between the United States and Jordan.” Additionally, they telephoned the prime minister of Iraq.
Biden reiterated “the critical need to preserve the historic status quo” in reference to the rising tensions surrounding the Al-Aqsa mosque, which is situated in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on a site revered by Jews and Muslims. The White House said in a statement that he also acknowledged Jordan’s “crucial role as the custodian of Muslim holy places in Jerusalem.”
Regarding the conflict between Israel and Palestine, Biden reaffirmed the United States’ “strong support for a two-state solution” and expressed gratitude to King Abdullah “for his close partnership and the role he and Jordan play as a force for stability in the Middle East.”
According to the White House, Biden spoke on the phone with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani while he was with the king “to reaffirm the US commitment to Iraq.”
According to the statement, Biden expressed support for the nation’s “economic agenda and plans to ensure that Iraq’s economy is delivering for the Iraqi people” and praised Sudani’s “efforts to strengthen Iraq’s sovereignty and independence.”
Biden and Sudani emphasized their dedication to preventing the Islamic State terrorist organization from “threatening the Iraqi people or regional and international security.”
The White House stated that King Abdullah was invited to participate in the call and that he “emphasized Jordan’s support for Iraq, including through joint strategic infrastructure projects.”
For Jews, the Al-Aqsa mosque, also known as the Temple Mount, is the most sacred site and the third holiest place in Islam.
Non-Muslims are permitted to visit the location at specific times, but they are not permitted to pray there, according to a long-standing rule.
Palestinians have been enraged by an increasing number of Jews who have secretly prayed at the compound, most of whom are Israeli nationalists. The national security minister of Israel’s new far-right government paid his own visit to the site in January, which sparked a worldwide outcry.
