His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday stressed that there is no alternative to Jerusalem as the key to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Delivering Jordan’s address at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Extraordinary Summit in Istanbul, King Abdullah said the violence and extremism witnessed in the Arab world and beyond is the result of the absence of a just solution to the Palestinian cause, and the resulting feelings of injustice and frustration.

“Extremists have exploited this bitter reality to justify the violence and terrorism that threaten security and stability across the globe,” His Majesty said. 

The King reaffirmed that the region can never live in peace without resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, based on the two-state solution, and in line with international terms of reference and the Arab Peace Initiative, leading to the establishment of the Palestinian state on Palestinian soil, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“The United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a dangerous decision, whose implications threaten security and stability. It undermines efforts to resume the peace process,” His Majesty warned, stressing the danger of unilateral decisions on Jerusalem “outside the framework of a comprehensive solution that fulfils all the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people”.

The King also warned of attempts to Judaise Jerusalem and alter its Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity, stressing that they will unleash further violence and extremism. 

The city is holy to the followers of the three monotheistic faiths, His Majesty asserted.

“Jerusalem is most holy in Islam. It is in the hearts of all Muslims… as it is in the hearts of all Christians. Our right, Muslims and Christians, to Jerusalem is eternal,” the King said.

Affirming that “the Hashemite Custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem is a historical responsibility that Jordan is honoured to continue to uphold”, His Majesty urged joint work to safeguard Islamic and Christian holy sites, and to prevent attempts to establish new facts on the ground.

“Our Palestinian brothers deserve our utmost support to enable them to persevere and to continue working with the international community to reach a just and comprehensive solution that ends the historical injustice they have been living under, and achieves their right to statehood,” His Majesty asserted.

Thanking President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for hosting the Summit, the King said the perilous challenges facing Arabs and Muslims call for collective action.

“We are urgently required to overcome our differences and unite our efforts to protect Jerusalem, and to safeguard our security and our peoples’ right to live in security and peace.”