AMMAN — The Foreign Ministry has welcomed a resolution adopted unanimously by the Executive Board of UNESCO concerning Jerusalem and its walls, that calls for protecting the Old City’scultural heritage and preservation of its historical and legal status quo.

 

Spokesperson, Fuad Majali, said the decision reaffirms the call on Israel, the occupying power, to halt all its illegal and unilateral measures in the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls that threaten the city’s cultural and historical heritage and undermine its outstanding universal value, stressing that such actions are null and void.

 

The UNESCO Executive Board on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution concerning the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls, reaffirming that Israel, as the occupying power, must cease all illegal and unilateral measures in the area.

 

The decision, adopted under the agenda item “Occupied Palestine” during the Board’s 222nd session in Paris, calls for the protection of the Old Cuty’s cultural heritage and preservation of its historical and legal status quo.

 

His Majesty King Abdullah commended the adoption of the resolution in a phone call with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, during which he stressed the importance of safeguarding Jerusalem’s identity and maintaining the city’s historical and legal status quo.

 

During his official visit to Paris, HRH Crown Prince Hussein met with Khaled El Enany, director general-elect of the UNESCO on Thursday, where he underlined the importance of the organisation’s role in protecting the Old City, which, at Jordan’s request, is listed on both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.

 

His Royal Highness called for the implementation of UNESCO resolutions aimed at preserving Jerusalem’s authentic Arab Muslim and Christian identity, particularly amid ongoing violations of the city’s historical and legal status quo.

 

The Crown Prince reaffirmed Jordan’s firm commitment, under the Hashemite Custodianship, to safeguarding Muslim and Christian holy sites and continuing diplomatic efforts in coordination with Palestine and Arab and Muslim committees within UNESCO.

 

Jordan has consistently underscored its historic and religious responsibility towards Jerusalem. Earlier this year, His Majesty received representatives of the Jerusalem Awqaf, church leaders, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Al Husseiniya Palace.

 

Attendees praised Jordan’s vital role in supporting the Palestinian people and reaffirmed the importance of the Hashemite Custodianship of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

 

Addressing the European Parliament in June, His Majesty highlighted that Jordan’s firm belief in the shared values of the three monotheistic religions is rooted in its history and heritage, which underpin the Kingdom’s principles of tolerance and mutual respect. “The same call to goodwill lies behind the Hashemite Custodianship of Muslim and Christian Holy Sites in Jerusalem, whose historical and multi-religious identity we have vowed to protect from attack,” the King said.

 

In his address to the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September, the King stated, “As Custodians of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, we safeguard these holy places against actions that violate the city’s legal and historical status quo. Compromising the delicate balance in the Holy City will turn it into a tinderbox that ignites global conflict.”

 

The Hashemite Custodianship of Jerusalem’s holy sites dates back to more than a century, preserving the religious rights of Muslims and Christians and maintaining the integrity of their holy places.

 

The Custodianship, maintained since the era of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, was reaffirmed in the 1994 peace treaty between Jordan and Israel and the 2013 agreement signed in Amman by His Majesty and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which recognised His Majesty’s role in safeguarding Jerusalem’s holy sites.