Palestinians Want to Control Holy Sites
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GAZA CITY — The Palestinian Authority, in a move sure to infuriate Jordan’s King Hussein, decided at a meeting Saturday to demand control of holy sites in Jerusalem and the West Bank from Amman, Palestinian officials said.
“The Palestinians will inform Jordan that they want control of the holy shrines transferred to them from Jordan,” an official said after the authority’s weekly meeting.
King Hussein reacted angrily Saturday to Palestinian assertions of responsibility for Muslim affairs in Jerusalem.
“The issue of Islamic awkaf (religious affairs) is too important and dangerous to be abused and played with,” the king told the state news agency, Petra.
A Palestinian spokesman said the king’s reaction “did not serve coordination.”
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