Jordan has expressed alarm over increasing Israeli interference at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site, and reports of a joint US-Israel plan to strip the Jordanian royal family of its custodial role. The report, citing Middle East Eye, claims that US and Israeli officials discussed transferring control over appointments and sermons at the mosque to Israel, a move Jordan views as a direct challenge to its historic authority. A US official denied the allegation.

The article recounts a long history of Israeli encroachment since 1948, including Ariel Sharon’s 2000 incursion that triggered the Second Intifada. It highlights recent Israeli police presence inside the compound and the establishment of a police station there, actions deemed illegal under international law. Jordan’s King Abdullah II, a Hashemite descendant, is portrayed as facing a dilemma between resisting Israeli aggression or risking confrontation.

Regional tensions have intensified amid Israeli military actions in Gaza and the West Bank. The report suggests that any Israeli attempt to alter Al-Aqsa’s status could ignite a wider religious conflict, with implications for Jordan’s stability and the broader Muslim world.