The Trump administration and Israel are working on a plan to replace Jordan’s custodianship over the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem with a new arrangement that would expand Jewish prayer rights at the site, according to a report published on Monday.
The Middle East Eye, citing unnamed US, Jordanian, Palestinian, Western and Gulf Arab sources, reported that the proposal would end the authority of the Jordanian-backed Islamic Waqf and create a new body tied to Israel to administer the compound.
After publication, the outlet said a US official called the allegation that Washington was actively working to strip Jordan of its custodianship “totally false.”
The report said the plan was being promoted by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
According to the report, the proposed arrangement would recast the compound as a “multi-faith center,” allow large-group Jewish prayer and give Israel a role in appointing Muslim religious officials and approving Friday sermon content.
AFSI Insight
If this is just a report for now, we wonder how it made its way into the news! Efforts to turn the Temple Mount into a “multi-faith center” could potentially undermine Jewish sovereignty and religious rights at Judaism’s holiest site. While supporting freedom of worship for all faiths, Israel must retain full authority over Jerusalem and reject foreign pressure or arrangements that weaken the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount. It is imperative that any changes must prioritize Israel’s security and avoid empowering extremists who exploit the site for incitement and unrest.
Should this report turn out to be accurate, we can confidently say that President Donald J. Trump’s support will ensure Israel’s assertion of control over the Temple Mount, maintain a whole and undivided Jerusalem, allow freedom of worship for all faiths, and put a stop to the ongoing abuses and mistreatment occurring there. This holy site was never meant to be the way it is now, and it must be brought back to the sacred and spiritual landmark it was intended to be.