US-Israeli plan to alter Al-Aqsa administration sparks concern

The United States and Israel are reportedly working on a plan to remove Jordan’s long-standing administrative authority over Al-Aqsa Mosque and replace it with a new management structure more closely aligned with Israeli interests. 

Citing American, Jordanian, Palestinian, Gulf, and Western sources, a report prepared by British news outlet Middle East Eye, 

The proposal would dismantle the current Islamic Waqf authority operating under Jordanian guardianship and establish a new body that would redefine the Al-Aqsa compound as a “multi-faith centre.”

According to the report, the initiative is backed by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

Sources cited in the report said the proposed arrangement would grant Jewish worshippers broader access to the mosque compound and potentially allow organised Jewish prayers at the site in larger groups.

The report further claimed that Israel would gain influence over the appointment of senior mosque officials, including imams and preachers, while also playing a role in approving Friday sermon content.

Two unnamed US officials told Middle East Eye that Washington had also drafted a document concerning the future status of Al-Aqsa, proposing the site be transformed from an exclusively Islamic identity into a tourism and religious centre shared by the three Abrahamic faiths.

According to the report, another proposal under discussion involves rotating administrative participation among Arab states. Sources said Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates had already been briefed on the American proposal.

However, two Gulf sources reportedly said Saudi Arabia, a close ally of Jordan, opposes the proposal.

The report added that Israel first presented the idea to the Trump administration nearly a decade ago, while Ambassador Mike Huckabee has repeatedly urged Washington to move forward with the plan since taking office last year.