Abu-Ghazaleh Underscores Strong Ties between Jerusalem and Al Salt

AL SALT, Jordan – Freedom Center for Development and Human Rights hosted HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh at a panel discussion entitled “Jerusalem in the Memory of Al Salt” in the presence of member of the Senate HE Marwan Al Hmoud and a host of former ministers, parliamentarians, academics and crowds of interested people.

Referring to US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, HE Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said: “This is an election-based decision. Palestine is an occupied country and wherever the embassy is "relocated to in Palestine; it’s still on occupied territory.

However, he called on the Center to issue a statement denouncing and rejecting such a decision.

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh affirmed that Jerusalem and Salt are twin cities, a fact which has been documented in the past and present, highlighting the need for documentation to preserve history for future generations.

He called for the documentation of the session’s discussions to be collected and printed in a publication by Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization’s Publications Department.

While Jerusalemites are still under occupation, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh reiterated his relentless support for them through many online projects stating that supporting people in Jerusalem is a national duty and obligation which all Arabs must fulfill.

For his part, Mayor of Salt Greater Municipality Mr. Khaled Al Khoshman addressed the bond between Salt and Jerusalem saying that “we will always remember Jerusalem; Salt has been always the main supporter of Palestine, and we will not forget when the people of Salt sold whatever they owned to buy weapons to support “the Palestinian resistance and revolution against occupation in 1936”.

He explained that not a single day passes without watching the minarets of the mosques in Jerusalem, adding that the people of Salt used to break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan upon hearing the Adan from the mosques of Jerusalem.

Al Khoshman also underlined the role played by the citizens of Salt in hosting waves of Palestinian refugees following the 1948 and 1967 wars.

Former general director of the Department of Lands and Survey Mr. Ibrahim Mesmar who also worked as general director of Department of Lands and Survey in Jerusalem, talked about the strong bonds that connect the two cities saying that as one of the children of Salt city, he used to work in Jerusalem.

He further underlined the educational, trade and defense links between the two neighboring cities.

Meanwhile, historian Dr. Mohammad Khreisat recalled moments from his childhood and youth during which he used to visit Jerusalem and explained that people would go on pilgrimage to perform Hajj in Mecca then visit Jerusalem upon their return.

He added that the relations between Salt and Jerusalem were economic, social and historical narrating some stories that documented the depth of these relations.

For his part, head of the Administrative Assembly of the Freedom Center for Development and Human Rights, Dr. Ali Al Dabbas said that holding the panel session by the Center, with the support of the Municipality underlines and affirms the historical relations that unite the two cities, Jerusalem and Salt.

“History is the witness that testifies the noble relation between the two banks of the river and the keenness of the children of the two cities to keep Jerusalem alive in the conscience of people. We have in this harsh stage of our life to document history since nations that don’t document the events they passed through would have no history,” Dabbas concluded.