AMMAN — Hundreds of Jordanians participated in protests across the country on Friday against Israel’s arrest of the top cleric in Jerusalem, calling for the “liberation” of Al Aqsa Mosque.

Jordanians participate in a protest in Irbid, 80km north of Amman, to call for expelling the Israeli ambassador to Jordan (Petra photo)

In a series of rallies in Zarqa, Karak, Irbid and Tafileh, leftist, Islamist and independent activists urged Amman to expel the Israeli envoy to Jordan over Wednesday’s arrest of Jerusalem Grand Mufti Mohammad Hussein.

During the Irbid rally, participants burned the Israeli flag and chanted, “No to a Zionist embassy on Jordanian land”, eyewitnesses said.

They also called for international action to protect Al Aqsa Mosque from Israeli “provocations”, with protesters in the southern city of Karak chanting, “Oh Muslim world, listen, Al Aqsa is in danger.”

Hussein was detained by Israeli security forces without charges last Wednesday and released on the same day after six hours of questioning.

Also last week, the Lower House unanimously demanded that the government expel the Israeli ambassador over the mufti’s arrest and Israeli authorities’ frequent violations of the sanctity of Islamic and Christian sites in occupied Jerusalem.

Acting Foreign Minister Hussein Majali officially summoned Israeli Ambassador to Jordan Daniel Nevo on Wednesday to express Jordan’s rejection of repeated Israeli aggression on Jerusalem’s Islamic sites.

Meanwhile, some two-dozen activists gathered near the Israeli embassy on Friday in the west Amman neighbourhood of Al Rabiah as protests near the mission entered their third straight day.

Amid heavy security, some 30 activists urged the government to expel the Israeli ambassador from Jordan, chanting, “Al Rabiah demands to be free of the ambassador and the embassy” and “Long live Palestine”.

Friday’s rally marked a calmer turnout from late Wednesday, when participants in a midnight protest at the embassy attempted to storm the mission’s walls.

The latest protests marked the third straight day of demonstrations over Hussein’s arrest and ongoing clashes between Jewish visitors and prayer-goers at Al Aqsa Mosque.

On Thursday, Jordan called for an emergency Arab League session to discuss the incident, which it described as part of a “series of attacks” on Al Aqsa Mosque.

The league is scheduled to convene on Sunday to discuss the issue.

http://jordantimes.com/jordanians-protest-against-israeli-violations-in-jerusalem