Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesman, Mohammad Al Momani, on Monday, said that neither Israeli right-wing extremists nor Israeli occupation authorities, have the right to prevent Jordan from installing surveillance cameras at the courtyards of the Al Aqsa Mosque/ the Al Haram Al Sharif, as the holy shrine falls within the custodianship of His Majesty King Abdullah II, according to the Jordan-Israel peace treaty signed in 1994.This statement is not asserting Jordan's rights over the site. It is denying Jewish rights.
Momani reaffirmed that the whole 144 dunums of the Al Aqsa Mosque/ the Al Haram Al Sharif is a sacred shrine for Muslims only, and no one has the right to interfere in its affairs.
"Installing cameras aims at preserving the Arab and Islamic identity of the Al Aqsa Mosque/ the Al Haram Al Sharif and documenting and addressing Israeli extremists and occupation police and army's violations," the minster noted.
It is pure antisemitism.
The rest of the article shows that Jordan is portraying Israel as being against the cameras, when in fact the idea was part of an agreement between Israel and Jordan mediated by the US to reduce tensions over the site.
One Israeli group did petition the High Court, unsuccessfully, to stop the installation, saying that the installation was not being done with the proper Israeli permits. That is what Momani is referring to, pretending that an Israeli court decision is upholding Jordanian exclusive rights on the site, which is simply not true. And Israeli authorities have welcomed the idea of cameras, to prove that Israel is not doing anything provocative on the holy site.
Unlike how it is being reported, the camera feeds will be sent via closed circuit only to monitoring rooms on the Israeli side and the Jordanian side. They will not be broadcast over the Internet. Which is a shame, because now the Jordanians can claim that they saw Jews doing whatever they want, and Israel would have to be put in a position to deny it without being able to provide proof of 24-hour footage that can be confirmed.
Meanwhile, Arab sites are upset that Jews visited the site today. As they are every day.
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