Amman /PNN / 

Jordan’s King Abdallah II has cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against attempts at changing the status quo of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in light of increasing Israeli desecrations of the holy place.

During a surprise visit Netanyahu paid to Amman on Tuesday, King Abdallah told the far-right Israeli PM that the Israeli regime should respect the “historic and legal status quo in the Holy al-Aqsa mosque and not violate it.”

The Jordanian king was quoted as telling the Israeli leader that an end to violence was crucial to allow long-stalled “peace” talks to resume between the Palestinians and the Israeli regime.

King Abdullah stressed the importance of respecting the historical and legal status quo in Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif.

His Majesty stressed the need to maintain calm and cease all acts of violence, in order to pave the way for a political horizon for the peace process, calling for an end to any measures that could undermine peace prospects.

The King reaffirmed Jordan’s steadfast position in support of the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel in peace and security.

Discussions also covered bilateral ties and the need for the Palestinian people to benefit from economic and regional projects.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, General Intelligence Department Director Maj. Gen. Ahmad Husni, and the accompanying Israeli delegation attended the meeting.