Why Jordan cannot be stripped of Al-Aqsa custodianship

“Why Jordan cannot be stripped of Al-Aqsa custodianship Submitted by Mustafa Abu Sway on Thu, 05/28/2026 - 15:55 Tampering with the Hashemite status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites would put the region and the world on a collision course The author is pictured with Father Nabil Haddad at the Royal Hashemite Court in Amman, Jordan, in December 2025 (Supplied photo) Off Despite Washington’s long-standing recognition of Jordan as the custodian of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, Middle East Eye has reported that the US and Israel are “actively working” to dismantle this arrangement. The failure of the war on Iran to achieve its goals, the upcoming US midterms this fall, and the Israeli legislative elections slated for October - which could take place even earlier if the coalition government falls - might be driving American and Israeli leaders to look for other “achievements”. US President Donald Trump recently dangled another red herring, threatening not to sign a deal with Iran if Saudi Arabia and other countries do not join the Abraham Accords. Trump knows this is a no-go; it ignores the elephant in the room, addressed by the 2002 Saudi-led Arab Peace Initiative, which conditioned normalisation with Israel on a credible path to Palestinian statehood. Saudi Arabia has confirmed this position time and again. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite his periodic lip service to the historical status quo , has allowed his far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, to erode it through repeated incursions at Al-Aqsa complex. Storming the holy site to influence elections is not a new tactic. A provocative visit in the year 2000 by former Likud leader Ariel Sharon, protected by a large contingent of Israeli security forces, enabled him to win the subsequent election and become prime minister - at the price of instigating the Second Intifada. This time, however, the situation seems to be different. Tampering with Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem’s holy sites, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque, would put the region and the world on a collision course, rather than ushering in peace and coexistence. Hashemite legacy MEE reported that the plan to undermine Jordan’s custodianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque has been championed by Christian Zionists in the US, including the country’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. A US official subsequently denied the report. Huckabee has previously said he had no problem with Israel expanding its territory from the Nile to the Euphrates - across several Arab countries, with millions of inhabitants - in total disregard of international law . Netanyahu’s “super-Sparta” vision is oblivious to the fact that Athens outlived Sparta. The Hashemites have made continuous efforts to defend Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian holy sites What Christian Zionists erroneously think is good for them, is not necessarily good for Jews or for Israel - beyond the self-serving politicians whose heads are in the sand. When talking about the custodianship of Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy sites, it is important to recall the legacy of the Hashemite royal family. The Hashemites, descendants of the family of the Prophet Muhammad, have their roots in pre-Islamic Arabia. The clan of Banu Hashem carved their name into the annals of history as caretakers of the pilgrims to Mecca. The etymology of “Hashem”, which was the name of the great-grandfather of the Prophet, derives from the generous way in which they provided food for the pilgrims. This magnanimous and noble family would care for the holy sites in Mecca and Medina for a millennium. Theologically, Al-Aqsa Mosque is mentioned in the Quran as the locus of the Prophet Muhammad’s night journey , with divine blessings encompassing its precincts. In the Prophetic traditions, it is among the three holiest sites, alongside the Great Mosque of Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. Interfaith agreement In the year 637, the Pact of Umar, an interfaith agreement attributed to caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab and Patriarch Sophronius, was put in place to protect Christian holy places in Jerusalem and to ensure freedom of worship. During a tour of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Sophronius invited Umar to pray inside the church. Umar declined politely, fearing that if he prayed there, future generations of Muslims would convert the church into a mosque. Umar was conscious of the political implications of his behaviour, and he respected the limitations of hospitality, especially concerning religious spaces. US and Israel 'actively working' to strip Jordan of Al-Aqsa custodianship, sources say Read More » Before the arrival of Islam in the seventh century, Jews were prohibited from living in Jerusalem. According to the Cairo Genizah Jewish manuscripts, it was Umar who allowed Jews back into the holy city . This is consistent with the Islamic worldview: Umar witnessed it firsthand in Medina, when the Prophet Muhammad hosted a Christian delegation from Najran at his mosque. The Pact of Umar is rooted in an Islamic theology of “soft otherness” concerning the People of the Book. The Quran explicitly calls for the protection of all houses of worship: “Had Allah not repelled the aggression of some people by means of others, destruction would have surely claimed monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which Allah’s Name is often mentioned.” Fast forward to the early 20th century, when the Hashemites carried the banner of custodianship, preserving and guaranteeing the religious rights of Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem, and the integrity of their holy sites - starting with a religious pledge of allegiance to King Hussein bin Ali in 1917, and a political pledge in 1924 . Sharif Hussein was buried inside the western nave of Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in 1931 at his own request. The love of the Hashemites for Al-Aqsa Mosque never waned. When King Hussein bin Talal declared Jordan’s disengagement from the occupied West Bank in 1988, he specifically excluded East Jerusalem’s holy sites and Waqf properties, thus maintaining Hashemite custodianship. This exclusion was coordinated with Yasser Arafat, then the president of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. Unwavering support Jordan’s special role was subsequently acknowledged in the 1994 peace treaty between Jordan and Israel. After Palestine was recognised as a non-member observer state by the UN General Assembly in 2012, Jordan’s King Abdullah II cemented the custodianship of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites by signing a historic agreement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman in March 2013. In addition to reaffirming Jordan’s custodianship over Jerusalem’s holy sites, it noted that the king had the right to exert all legal efforts to safeguard them, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque complex - an area encompassing the whole compound, including its open courtyards, an architectural feature of mosques all over the Muslim world. There was no end date to this agreement. Hashemite custodianship has unwavering support among Jordanians, who consider it a red line. It constitutes a cornerstone of national identity The Hashemites have made continuous efforts to defend Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy sites. Ongoing restoration projects at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre are funded directly by Jordan’s King Abdullah II. The Islamic Awqaf department, which is formally a part of Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places, is the largest employer in occupied East Jerusalem, and it contributes substantially to the Palestinian economic sector. The Awqaf also oversees dozens of other mosques and facilities in Jerusalem. Hashemite custodianship has unwavering support among Jordanians, who consider it a red line. It constitutes a cornerstone of the national identity. In Palestine, this arrangement won the hearts of Palestinians who refused the idea of including other Arab states in the holy site’s administration when it was floated a few years ago. Jordan’s King Abdullah II has declared unequivocally , on more than one occasion, that Al-Aqsa Mosque is neither for sharing nor division. Jordan has long emphasised the values of tolerance, moderation and stability, with the Royal Hashemite Court welcoming Christian church leaders, Muslim scholars and Awqaf officials every year during Christmas and Ramadan. Last December, Anglican Archbishop Hosam Naoum described Hashemite custodianship as a “safety valve”. The Arab and Muslim world remains united behind Jordan. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation was established in the wake of an arson attack by an Australian Christian fundamentalist at Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969. Today, a belligerent political arson could change the history of the region forever. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye. Religion Opinion Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:29 Update Date Override 0

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