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Jordan’s king meets Lapid at UN after accusing Israel of placing Christianity ‘under fire’ in Jerusalem

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The Israeli and Jordanian leaders met on the sidelines of the UN’s opening session after King Abdullah’s accusatory speech.

By World Israel News Staff and TPS

In his address to the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Jordanian King Abdullah II warned Israel about breaking the status quo in Jerusalem.

“As custodians of Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy sites, we are committed to protecting the historical and legal status quo and to their safety and future,” Abdullah said.

“The future of Jerusalem is an urgent concern. The city is holy to billions of Muslims, Christians and Jews around the world. Undermining Jerusalem’s legal and historical status quo triggers global tensions and deepens religious divides,” he said.

Abdullah accused Israel of placing Christianity and Jerusalem churches “under fire.”

“As a Muslim leader, let me say clearly that we are committed to defending the rights, the precious heritage of the Christian people for our region. Nowhere is that more important than in Jerusalem. Today, Christianity in the holy city is under fire. The rights of churches in Jerusalem are threatened. This cannot continue,” Abdullah said.

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The Jordanian king then met with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s 77th session.

They first met in July 2022 at the King’s palace in Amman.

Despite Abdullah’s critical speech at the UN, this meeting was described by Lapid’s spokesperson as an expression of the tightening of Israel-Jordan relations and the strengthening of the personal connection between the Prime Minister and the King of Jordan.

Lapid spoke with the King about the need for calming the situation on the ground and halting terrorism ahead of the upcoming Jewish holidays. He emphasized that Israel will not stand idly by and will fight terrorism directed against it in all its forms, and will not allow harm to the security of its citizens.

The leaders also discussed a number of issues on the bilateral agenda, with an emphasis on advancing economic-civilian cooperation.