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Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein and ZOA Director of Special Projects Liz Berney, Esq. released the following statement:
The ZOA criticizes Jordanian King Abudullah II’s latest illegal threats, violating the Israel-Jordan peace agreements, regarding Judaism’s holiest site, the Temple Mount, named for the holy Jewish Temples that stood there. (Notice it’s not called the “Mosque Mount”). The Jordanian king told CNN that he is “prepared for conflict,” has “red lines,” and that “we have to be concerned about the next intifada” (another terror war in which Palestinian Arabs murder and maim innocent Jews) if there is a “change of status.” Abdullah II is thus threatening violence if Jews (and other non-Muslims) are properly allowed to exercise their legal and religious and moral rights to freely pray at Judaism’s holiest site.
A MAJOR FACT IS BEING IGNORED—the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty, signed by Jordan’s King Hussein (Abdullah II’s father) on October 26,1994, guarantees Jews freedom of access to the Temple Mount. The Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty, Article 9.1, provides: “PLACES OF HISTORICAL AND RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE. Each party will provide freedom of access to places of religious and historical significance.”
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman, Esq., confirmed this, tweeting on January 4:
“Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty of 1994 required both nations to ensure access of all faiths to significant religious sites, including the Temple Mount…
Jews are not prohibited from visiting the Temple Mount under the Treaty or under the definition of “status quo” (murky as it is) and government ministers have done so on many occasions. No threat from Hamas should impair this reality.”
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