The Jordanian government has lodged an official protest with the Israeli Foreign Ministry following a court decision to allow Jews to daven near Har Habayis. In Amman, they accused Israel of violating the status quo in the area.

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court decided last week to reject the police’s request to remove three 14-year-old girls praying at the gates of Har Habayis, stating that every person has the right to daven anywhere in the country. Judge Shmuel Herbst accepted the argument of defense attorney Itamar Ben-Givir, and ruled that the police should not arrest the young women and deny them the basic right.

However, Jordan was not satisfied with the ruling, and the Jordanian government sent a letter of complaint to the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Among other things, the letter stated that “recent developments violate the historic status quo in the holy place in East Jerusalem – including Waqf property near the Al-Aqsa Mosque … The Jordanian government wishes to remind Israel of its commitment to international law as the occupying power of East Jerusalem, and the Jordanian government strongly condemns the approval given by the government to religious ceremonies near the Temple Mount.”

“According to the rules of international law, the Kingdom of Jordan also rejects the jurisdiction of the Israeli courts and the applicability of Israeli law to the entire area of ​​East Jerusalem, and in accordance with all the orders issued by the courts as a change in the historical and legal status quo, The last legal procedure allowing Jewish prayer outside the gates of the al-Aqsa Mosque to the Haram al-Sharif. ”

In response to the official Jordanian complaint of the Jordanian government, Attorney Itamar Ben-Givir stated that “there is no limit to the chutzpa in the Jordanian complaint. I expect Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to summon the Jordanian ambassador to Israel for a severe reprimand, in which he will make it clear to him that the courts in Israel are independent courts and do not work for the Jordanians, and even more so because Jerusalem was liberated by the State of Israel and Jews can daven anywhere in our holy capital “.

Ben-Givir added, “It appears the Jordanians are confused and feel Israel is not an independent nation. The time has come for the government in Jerusalem to make clear to the Jordanians what should have been clear to them long ago: Israel is the sovereign in Jerusalem.”

YWN NOTES: Gedolei Yisrael over the generations and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel prohibit visiting Har Habayis, which they explain carries the punishment of karess.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)