(RNS) \u2014 At first, last week\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>investigative report<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>by Middle East Eye journalists, revealing a secret U.S.-Israel plan to end Jordanian custodianship of Jerusalem\u2019s most contentious holy site, seemed far-fetched. The plan purports to replace Jordan\u2019s administrative body with an Israeli-appointed one that would reframe the Muslim site, allowing public access to a \u201cmultifaith center.\u201d<\/p>\n When\u00a0<\/span>questioned<\/a>, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared surprised. \u201cI\u2019m not even aware of those reports. \u2026\u00a0 I\u2019ve never heard that,\u201d he said in a congressional hearing about the matter. Rubio then stressed the \u201cgreat\u201d partnership between the U.S. and Jordan.\u00a0<\/p>\n But those on the ground were not surprised by the report. The long-standing status quo, dating back to 19th-century Ottoman rule and reinforced by international resolutions and the 2014 U.S.-Israel-Jordan agreement, has been to preserve the site for Muslim worship and allow visitors of other faiths. But in practice, that agreement has been eroding for decades, increasingly so since the war in Gaza in late 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 14-hectare compound, which includes Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, holds deep significance for Islam; Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from there to receive divine revelations. Together, the two structures that make up Haram al-Sharif\/Al-Aq<\/span>sa<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Mosque are a UNESCO World Heritage site and are considered the third-holiest site in Islam.\u00a0<\/p>\n Israeli police have restricted mosque entry from Palestinians during holidays, citing security concerns. And Israeli police have increasingly allowed Jews, who believe that the Temple Mount beneath Al-Aqsa is the location of the ancient First and Second Temples, to perform rituals and prayers inside the complex<\/span>, despite the 2014 meeting in Amman where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan\u2019s King Abdullah II, in the presence of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, affirmed that \u201cAl-Aqsa is for Muslims to pray and for all others to visit.\u201d<\/p>\n Israeli police escort Jewish visitors marking the holiday of Passover to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, in the Old City of Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, April 9, 2023. (AP Photo\/Mahmoud Illean)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Since Ariel Sharon\u2019s provocative breach of the mosque in 2000 and the removal of Jordan\u2019s waqf guards from the Mughrabi Gate, Jewish extremists have entered the mosque without\u00a0<\/span>permission from Jordanian waqf authorities. Jewish settler visits, accompanied by armed Israeli forces, have surged by more than 18,000% since 2003,\u00a0<\/span>according to statistics released by the Jordanian authorities<\/a>, from 289 to over 53,000 in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n Researchers have warned that, under the rhetoric of religious and historical ties, Israel is steadily expanding its influence at the site. What began as a police revision permitting greater Jewish prayer has become a broader precedent.<\/p>\n Israeli media<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>reports in early 2026 indicated that Netanyahu supported a decision by Israel\u2019s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, allowing Jewish prayer at Al-Aqsa. Israeli media coverage also notes that the prime minister said the policy changes were coordinated with him and that he dismissed warnings that such moves breached decades\u2011old arrangements.\u00a0<\/p>\n On May 14, Ben-Gvir personally led a Jewish extremist group into the Al-Aqsa compound and raised an Israeli flag, danced, sang and declared that \u201cthe Temple Mount is in our hands.\u201d The incident underscored the high-stakes nature of policy shifts and the urgency of careful stewardship and inclusive dialogue to prevent escalation.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Israel-Palestinians-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/webRNS-Palestinians-Israel1-051021.jpg\")
<\/p>\n