The plan, championed by President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, would replace the Jordanian-backed Islamic Waqf with a new Israeli-created body that would declare the Al-Aqsa Mosque a multi-faith center, sources told Middle East Eye [1]. Under the proposed arrangement, Jews would be granted equal access to the Muslim site and be formally allowed to conduct large-group Jewish prayer, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Israel would also have a major say in the appointment of imams, preachers and senior mosque officials, and would sign off on the content of Friday sermons. Two U.S. officials said Washington had drafted a paper on the envisioned future of the mosque [1].
Details of Proposed Arrangement
The authority of the Islamic Waqf, which has administered internal affairs at the Al-Aqsa compound since the 1967 war, would abruptly end under the proposal. The new body created by Israel would manage the site as a landmark tourist attraction hosting all three Abrahamic religions, effectively stripping the mosque of its exclusive Muslim identity [1].
A western official and a source briefed by the Jordanian government said that Arab countries could be granted rotational oversight of the complex. According to two Gulf Arab sources and another source familiar with Jordanian thinking, Saudi Arabia is opposed to the proposal [1].
Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates have all been briefed on the U.S. proposal, sources said. One source close to the Jordanian government told Middle East Eye that the Americans have been angry that the Jordanians cite their custodianship and raise complaints about Israeli actions at Al-Aqsa [1] [2]. The proposal leaves the fate of Jerusalem's Christian holy sites, also under Jordanian custodianship, uncertain, another source added [1].
Jordanian and Regional Responses
A Jordanian government official stressed that Amman's position on Jerusalem and its holy sites remains firm, noting that the Hashemite custodianship is internationally recognized under treaties including Article 9 of the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace treaty. The official said Jordan is coordinating with Palestinian, Arab and international partners to preserve the sites' Arab, Islamic and Christian identity [1]. Saudi Arabia views the custodianship as a pillar of regional stability, according to Gulf Arab sources, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously condemned Israel's actions in the region as genocide [3].
Regional powers have voiced opposition to Israeli encroachments on Al-Aqsa. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for the Muslim world to unite against Israel, and eight Muslim-majority countries condemned Israel's closure of the mosque during Ramadan as a flagrant violation of international law [4] [5]. Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah has developed a good relationship with the Saudi crown prince, sources said, deepening ties in recent years [1].
Historical Status Quo and Implications
The status quo governing Al-Aqsa Mosque has been in place since the 1967 war, when Israel occupied East Jerusalem. Under the arrangement, the Islamic Waqf administers internal affairs while Israel controls external security [6]. Non-Muslims are permitted to visit during designated hours but not to pray there. The proposed arrangement is loosely modeled on Israel's division of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron after a 1994 massacre, where 63% of the site was allocated for Jewish worship [1].
For Jordan, custodianship over the mosque is central to the monarchy's legitimacy, tracing back to 1924 under British Mandate rule. The Hashemite role is recognized in the 1994 peace treaty with Israel.
However, Israeli officials and far-right groups have steadily eroded the status quo in recent years, with Israeli police raids and settler incursions becoming more frequent. Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, a member of the Jerusalem Waqf Council, said the Israeli occupation has changed the status quo on the ground and no longer recognizes the Hashemite Jordanian custodianship [7].
The proposal raises uncertainty for Christian holy sites also under Jordanian care, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Trump administration's previous moves, such as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the Golan Heights annexation, set a precedent for unilateral changes to long-standing international arrangements [8].
Conclusion
A U.S. official denied the allegations after the report was published, calling claims that Washington was seeking to end Jordan's custodianship over Al-Aqsa Mosque totally false [9]. However, sources told Middle East Eye that pressure has increased since Huckabee assumed his post last year. The U.S. envoy, a devout Evangelical Christian, is a long-time pro-Israel advocate who has supported illegal Israeli settlements [1].
If implemented, the changes could inflame the entire region, according to Gulf Arab sources. Mustafa Abu Sway, deputy head of the Waqf council, said the Hashemite custodianship is a cornerstone for stability in the region, and undermining it is tantamount to undermining the very principles of peace [10].
References
- Faisal Edroos. "US and Israel 'actively working' to strip Jordan of Al-Aqsa custodianship, sources say." Middle East Eye. May 25, 2026.
- Matzav.com. "Report: US and Israel 'Actively Working' to Strip Jordan of Al-Aqsa Custodianship." May 26, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "Saudis Mohammed bin Salman Israel's war on Gaza is a GENOCIDE." November 21, 2024.
- NaturalNews.com. "Turkish president calls for Muslim world to UNITE against Israel." April 10, 2023.
- Middle East Eye. "Muslim nations criticise Israel for Al-Aqsa Mosque Ramadan closure." March 12, 2026.
- Ninian Smart. "Atlas of the world's religions."
- Sheikh Ekrima Sabri. "Experts: Israel Is Changing the Status Quo at al-Aqsa Mosque." Jerusalem Story.
- James L Gelvin. "The Israel Palestine Conflict: A History."
- "Al-Aqsa: US, Israel to end Jordan's custodianship in plan discussed with UAE." The Siasat Daily.
- Lubna Masarwa. "Top Jerusalem Islamic official calls on West to tell Israel: Don't mess with Al-Aqsa." Middle East Eye. April 6, 2026.
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