London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 18, 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
US Tech Giants Pledge Billions to UK AI Infrastructure Following Starmer's Call
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
DeepMind and OpenAI Achieve Gold at ‘Coding Olympics’ in AI Milestone
SEC Allows Public Companies to Block Investors from Class-Action Lawsuits
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Federal Reserve Cuts Rates by Quarter Point and Signals More to Come
Effective and Impressive Generation Z Protest: Images from the Riots in Nepal
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
×