Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi Saturday received a phone call from his Norwegian counterpart Anniken Scharning Huitfeldt and discussed efforts to restore calm in Jerusalem and its holy sites.

They also talked about steps needed to stop the escalation and prompt Israel to respect the legal and historical status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque/ Al-Haram Al-Sharif and ensure freedom of worship without restrictions.

Safadi said Israel should halt all measures that undermine the historical and legal status quo at Al-Haram Al-Sharif, including incursions by extremists, noting that a ban on the entry of non-Muslims to the compound during the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan is 'a step in the right direction towards respecting the existing historical status quo, which will help to defuse tension.'

Safadi and Huitfeldt also agreed that work is needed to find a 'real political horizon' to return to serious and effective negotiations to resolve the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution and the international law.

He warned against the consequences of the continued absence of a horizon to relaunch a real effort to solve the conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, stressing that an international effort should not be restricted to ending the current escalation, but should evolve into a sustainable effort to address the root causes of the conflict, which could further explode unless hope in a meaningful peace process is restored.

Safadi lauded the position of Norway, currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, in supporting the two-state solution and its efforts to breathe new life into the peace process, as well as its role as chair of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), the body that coordinates the delivery of international aid to Palestinians.

The ministers agreed to continue coordination and consultation to end the cycle of violence and tension and look for practical steps to create a real political horizon to resume serious and effective negotiations to achieve the two-state solution.

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi Saturday received a phone call from his Norwegian counterpart Anniken Scharning Huitfeldt and discussed efforts to restore calm in Jerusalem and its holy sites.

They also talked about steps needed to stop the escalation and prompt Israel to respect the legal and historical status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque/ Al-Haram Al-Sharif and ensure freedom of worship without restrictions.

Safadi said Israel should halt all measures that undermine the historical and legal status quo at Al-Haram Al-Sharif, including incursions by extremists, noting that a ban on the entry of non-Muslims to the compound during the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan is 'a step in the right direction towards respecting the existing historical status quo, which will help to defuse tension.'

Safadi and Huitfeldt also agreed that work is needed to find a 'real political horizon' to return to serious and effective negotiations to resolve the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution and the international law.

He warned against the consequences of the continued absence of a horizon to relaunch a real effort to solve the conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, stressing that an international effort should not be restricted to ending the current escalation, but should evolve into a sustainable effort to address the root causes of the conflict, which could further explode unless hope in a meaningful peace process is restored.

Safadi lauded the position of Norway, currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, in supporting the two-state solution and its efforts to breathe new life into the peace process, as well as its role as chair of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), the body that coordinates the delivery of international aid to Palestinians.

The ministers agreed to continue coordination and consultation to end the cycle of violence and tension and look for practical steps to create a real political horizon to resume serious and effective negotiations to achieve the two-state solution.