The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the Israeli embassy Wednesday protesting visits to the al-Aqsa Mosque by what it called "extremists under the protection of the Israeli Police."
In the letter, the Jordanians claimed the visits had taken place repeatedly over the course of a week. Jordan had also previously issued a harsh statement condemning "settlers" for "defiling al-Aqsa."
Additionally, the Jordanians demanded that the Israeli government "stop these attacks and provocations immediately and honor Jordan's role in sponsoring the holy sites of Islam in Jerusalem—a role Israel recognized in the peace treaty between the two countries."
Furthermore, it continued, "This behavior is tantamount to provoking Muslim feelings and constitutes a violation of Article 9 of the peace treaty between the two countries."
Jordan claims that Israel, as the "occupying power of east Jerusalem," has obligations under international law, international humanitarian law, the Hague Convention of 1907, the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the Hague Convention of 1954 relating to the protection of cultural property in a state of armed conflict.
The Jordanians warned in the letter that this behavior was damaging to relations between the two countries and were undermining efforts to reduce tension and preserve the historic status quo in the al-Aqsa Mosque.