London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 09, 2025

Jordan scrambles to affirm its custodianship of al-Aqsa mosque

Jordan scrambles to affirm its custodianship of al-Aqsa mosque

Amman fears warming Israel-Saudi relations may threaten its hold on holy Islamic site
Jordan is scrambling to affirm its custodianship of the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem after a meeting between Israeli and Saudi leaders raised fears in Amman that the fate of one of Islam’s holiest sites could be up for grabs in a normalisation deal between the two countries.

Warming relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, capped by a weekend visit by Benjamin Netanyahu to the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, have alarmed Jordanian leaders already unnerved by Riyadh’s regional posturing. They fear al-Aqsa could be in play as the Trump administration tries to secure a regional legacy in its dying weeks.

Without apparent prompting, the Jordanian foreign ministry released a statement on Wednesday night challenging “attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo” of the mosque. A spokesman, Daifallah al-Fayez, said: “The kingdom will continue its efforts to protect and care for the mosque, and preserve the rights of all Muslims to it in compliance with the Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy sites.”

The statement followed a call between the US president-elect, Joe Biden, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, a member of the Hashemite dynasty, which has governed the Jerusalem sites, known as Haram al-Sharif, since 1924, the same year the Saud dynasty was given control of Mecca and Medina.

Tutelage of al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock has been a key source of legitimacy for Jordan’s ruling Hashemite dynasty for nearly a century, pre-dating the creation of Jordan and Israel and prevailing throughout seven tumultuous decades of stalemate, war and eventually peace. In the quarter century since both sides formalised ties, the pact has been central to the deal’s stability.

Jordanian leaders now fear Donald Trump, his vice-president, Mike Pence, and the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, along with Netanyahu, may be tempted to change that dynamic by offering the sites to Saudi Arabia as the centrepiece of a normalisation deal. The impact of such a move would dwarf that of the pacts signed in recent weeks between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain.

Improving relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel have been near the top of the outgoing US president’s Middle East wish list, as has bolstering Riyadh at the expense of its foe Iran, which vies for supremacy as the standard bearer of Islam and disputes Saudi Arabia’s guardianship of the two holy shrines, Mecca and Medina.

Adnan Abu-Odeh, a former senior aide to both King Abdullah and his father, King Hussein, said guardianship of the Haram al-Sharif had been the cornerstone of the Hashemite dynasty and a sense of pride for Jordan. He said the arrangement was mentioned in the peace treaty signed between the two states, meaning Jordan’s claim on retaining the status quo was strong.

“Historically the religious aspect was key in the legitimacy of the ruler and the Hashemites, after leaving Hejaz, derive their legitimacy from Jerusalem,” he said. “Israel practises pressure and extortion over Jordan with the custodianship matter and they threaten to give it to the Saudis and it is not far fetched, and I believe his majesty the king understands that.”

The Hashemites, the rulers of modern-day Jordan, controlled the holy city of Mecca for centuries until it was conquered in 1924 by the House of Saud. The city and another of enormous religious significance, Medina, were incorporated into Saudi Arabia, while al-Aqsa fell under Hashemite control. Ever since, the two powerful bloodlines have been engaged in a struggle for influence, which has been increasingly dominated by Saudi Arabia, bolstered by oil dollars and US patronage that have transformed the kingdom into a regional heavyweight.

Another former senior royal aide and Jordanian foreign minister, Jawad Anani, said: “As far as Israel and Netanyahu is concerned Saudi Arabia is the big prize now.

“I don’t think the Saudis will be in a hurry to give Mr Netanyahu, or even Mr Trump right now, more credit because they have to deal with four years of a potentially not very friendly American administration [if they did].

“Many Jordanians … [are] being vigilant about this. Netanyahu … might find it to be worthwhile giving this to the Saudi royal family rather than keep it with the Hashemites because that would probably bring him the prize he’s seeking, which is open and declared normalisation with Saudi Arabia.”

Elie Podeh, a professor of Middle East studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said the fate of the Haram al-Sharif had been tabled by the former Israeli leader Ehud Olmert during peace talks with the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, in 2008. “Olmert was very forthcoming on this issue,” Podeh said. “He suggested the Old City of Jerusalem be an international city run by a committee of five – Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinians, the US and Israel. The idea was raised, but nothing substantial ever transpired.

“The question of Jerusalem might come up in the current context. The Saudis would want to have some role. There is now an opportunity to do something bilateral, and with Trump it would be much easier than under Biden. But whether it would be wise to do so is another thing.”

Sir John Jenkins, a former UK consul general to East Jerusalem and ex ambassador to Riyadh, said such a move would likely have widespread ramifications for Israeli security and for Jordan. “It would radically crush the Hashemite monarchy and it would change the guarantee of sorts that Jordan has been providing for Israeli and regional security. It would be like throwing a grenade into a crowded room.

“As for the Saudis, there would be some appeal there. Iran has always challenged them on the legitimacy of their custodianship of Mecca and Medina. If they were to add a third shrine to their list, it could enhance their claims to be the absolute leaders of the Islamic world.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
A Dollar Coin Featuring Trump’s Portrait Expected to Be Issued Next Year
Australia Orders X to Block Murder Videos, Citing Online Safety and Public Exposure
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
×