Jordanians hold sit-in over Israeli plan for holy sites

Jordanians have staged a sit-in to protest Israel’s plan to annex two Islamic holy sites located in the West Bank city of Hebron al-Khalil to its so-called heritage list.

During the sit-in, which was held in Amman on Saturday at the headquarters of the country’s 14 professional associations, activists and members of professional associations, political parties, and the Islamic Action Front condemned the Israeli plan and called on Arab leaders to protest against the Israeli action.

They said that Arab leaders and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) should take “serious” action to counter Israel’s plan to annex the two West Bank holy sites — the Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs) and the Bilal Mosque (Rachel’s Tomb).

They said that Israel is “targeting the Islamic sacred sites in the West Bank.”

The sit-in participants called for the annulment of the 1994 Wadi Araba Peace Treaty signed by Jordan and Israel, Xinhua reported.

“Statements of condemnation and rejection of the Zionist plan are not enough. The least that can be done in the face of these measures is to resort to boycotting and canceling all peace treaties to face the Zionist occupation,” Ahmad Tbeishat, head of Jordan’s professional associations’ council, said during the sit-in.

The Jordanian government has condemned the Israeli plan and said the move undermines the peace process.