By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

AMMAN, (Reuters) – The King of Jordan Abdullah has called for calm in the wake of a summit with Isaac Herzog from Israel. This historic meeting was held after street violence spiked in recent years. It stoked concerns of an even greater escalation in the months ahead of Ramadan, the holy Muslim month.

Abdullah informed Herzog, after meeting him at the Husseiniya Palace during the Israeli heads of state’s first official visit, that it was important to find peace now in order to end the “too long” conflict.

A palace statement claimed that the king condemns violence of all kinds, which included Tuesday’s latest attack by an Arab gunman in Tel Aviv.

According to the statement, the monarch stated that “This conflict has lasted very long” and added that violence had created fertile soil for extremism.

Relationships between Israel, Jordan and peace-loving partners Jordan since 1994 have long been affected by the Israeli-Palestinian war, which has included Israel’s 55 year-old occupation in West Bank, East Jerusalem and West Bank.

In an Israeli statement, Abdullah said that he offered Herzog his condolences. This was amid the fears of both countries for an increase in violence in the period between April and Ramadan.

Herzog said in a statement, “I always say that the fact Muslim leaders meet together Jewish leaders as well as Israeli leaders is an option to the abyssal of hatred and bloodshed.”

“As we enter these holy days… we must move towards enabling everyone to practice their beliefs in safety, in security, in calm circumstances. Herzog stated that such a goal is something we should strive for.

Israeli security forces were at high alert Wednesday morning following the Tel Aviv shooting. It was the latest of a number of attacks against Tel Aviv that has resulted in the deadliest attack on the streets of Tel Aviv in many years.

In recent days, both countries engaged in high-level security and diplomatic talks to try and reduce tensions. Jordan is concerned that this could lead to a spiral of violence in the kingdom of Jordanian origin.

Jordan has a high level of anti-Israeli sentiment.

At the peak of Ramadan, violence erupted last year between Israeli and Palestinian police around Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque. In May, violence between Gaza militants & Israel erupted into an 11-day civil war.

Abdullah urged Israel, during his meeting with Herzog to permit freedom of prayer for Muslim worshippers. A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to Reuters, said that this was what an official from the government told Reuters. King Abdullah also requested that Israeli police cease provocations from Jewish worshippers at Al Aqsa mosque complex.

Israel has placed age restrictions on worshippers of Islam at Al-Aqsa due to security concerns. It also restricted Palestinian travel from the West Bank to Jerusalem, territory it captured in 1967, together with its eastern portion of the holy site.

Jerusalem is of particular concern to Jordan’s royal Hashemite, who has custody of Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem’s eastern section, which was previously under the control of Jordanian forces.