Leaders of Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates met in Cairo
Leaders of Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates met in Cairo and discussed tensions in Jerusalem, the repercussions of the crisis in Ukraine as well as mutual cooperation, an official source said.
A statement after the talks said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan had called for calm in Jerusalem and for Israel to respect the status quo of Al- Aqsa mosque.
The three leaders also urged Israel to "stop all measures that undermine the two-state solution," and to find a way to return to serious negotiations with the Palestinians.
Egypt’s presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said the crisis in Ukraine and the Arab world’s role in resolving the conflict were also discussed.
In early April, an Arab League delegation travelled to Russia to meet Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and then to Poland, where it held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
The Temple Mount, known as Haram al-Sharif or referred to as the Al-Aqsa compound, is a holy site for both Muslims and Jews and is governed through a power-sharing agreement.
It has been a flashpoint for violence and over the past week more than 200 people, mostly Palestinians, have been wounded in clashes there.
Palestinians have been outraged by a massive Israeli police deployment and repeated visits by Jews to the holy site.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has ruled out peace talks and opposes Palestinian independence. But he has pledged to reduce tensions by taking steps to improve living conditions in the West Bank and Gaza.
The meeting comes after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed Jerusalem tensions in separate calls on Saturday with the Israeli prime minister and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
In statements released after both calls, the UN said Guterres discussed "efforts to lower tensions, end provocations and unilateral steps and restore calm.”
Guterres "reiterated that the status quo at the Holy Sites must be upheld and respected," both statements read.
The clashes at Al-Aqsa come amid a wave of deadly violence, which has sparked fears of a wider conflict.
