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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Lower House Speaker, Atif Tarawneh, Tuesday said that Jordan "will remain the lung for Palestine, and a staunch defender of its Islamic and Christian sanctities, which requires "solidifying our internal front and standing united in the face of the surrounding dangers".

Reading out a statement by the legislature at the start of today's session, which was attended by Prime Minister Hani Mulki and cabinet members, Tarawneh commended His Majesty King Abdullah II for his relentless efforts to find a prompt solution to the ongoing crisis at the Al Aqsa Mosque/ Haram Al Sharif, restore normalcy to the holy site and fully reopen it to worshippers.

"As you know, the Kingdom has gone through exceptional circumstances, starting with the dangerous Israeli violations of the Haram Al Sharif and the closure of the Al Aqsa Mosque before worshippers, ending up with the ramifications of the trial in Al Jafer base, and then the incident at the Israeli embassy, which greatly impacted public opinion", he told the lawmakers.

Regarding Al Jafer trial (of the army first sergeant who killed 3 U.S. soldiers at the air base last year), Tarawneh said: "We reiterate our faith in the military judiciary's fairness and its keenness to achieve justice for its personnel, first and foremost".

He said the army has been the solid fence of the country and its protector in the worst and most critical of circumstances, adding that "we do not accept any attempt to undermine the armed forces' prestige and reputation by shaking our confidence in its narrative, which has been one of accuracy and reliability".

As for the Israeli embassy incident, the government's position did not rise to the level of the grave situation and its tremendous ramifications, as it came late in an unjustified and incomprehensible manner, opening the door wide to interpretations and gossip, "messed up public opinion and held it hostage to rumours and misinformation", he pointed out.

The House chief said the situation over the embassy incident remained vague, which warranted that the government present to the lawmakers within the coming days a detailed report and the results of the investigation into the embassy shooting, in which two Jordanians were killed.

He also said the House fully rejects any notion of replacing electronic gates, which Israel had installed at the Al Aqsa Mosque and triggered the crisis, with CCTV cameras, adding that the occupier has no sovereignty over Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian sites.

Tarawneh also said the legislature would not accept any attempt to alter the status quo at the Haram al Sharif (Holy Sanctuary) as Jordan is its custodian, and that "no power can harm the Hashemite custodianship over the holy places".

Interior minister Ghaleb Al Zu'bi said investigations into the embassy shooting are still underway, pledging to send the House a circumstantial report after the probe ends.

Briefing the lawmakers about Sunday's embassy shooting, Zu'bi said it began after two carpenters entered a building affiliated with the Israeli embassy to set up furniture. One of the two drew a screwdriver and stabbed an Israeli security officer, who drew his weapon and killed the young man, and fatally injured another person.