U.S. and Israel develop plan to reform Temple Mount status and strip Jordan of trusteeship rights

The Donald Trump administration, together with the Israeli government, is actively working on a large-scale plan to change the status of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The project involves depriving the Hashemite Monarchy of Jordan of its historical right to manage the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex and turning the holy site into an international interfaith center.

According to Middle East Eye (MEE), the initiative is being promoted by the former president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. The plan calls for the liquidation of the Muslim Waqf after 102 years of operation. The ultimate goal of Washington and Tel Aviv is to transform Al-Aqsa into a tourist and religious site open to members of all three Abrahamic religions – Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

According to the details of the “new deal,” the project radically changes the current status quo. The plan officially lifts the ban on prayer for non-Muslims, giving Jews equal access to the shrine for mass worship. In addition, Israel is set to gain decisive influence over the appointment of imams and preachers, and the country’s intelligence services will pre-approve the content of Friday sermons. In place of Jordan’s sole trusteeship, a “rotating control” scheme involving Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco and the UAE is proposed, but Saudi Arabia has already protested against undermining Amman’s position.

Historically, Jordan’s right of guardianship over Jerusalem’s holy sites, enshrined in a 1994 treaty, is the basis of the ruling dynasty’s legitimacy. Experts warn that not only the Islamic complex is under attack, but also Christian holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, over which Jordan also exercises a protectorate. The Jordanian government has already issued an official statement on the unchanged international status of the holy sites, calling attempts to ignore the current agreements a threat to stability in the region.

Recall, American journalist Tucker Carlson said that a significant number of Israeli soldiers, including American volunteers, are involved in combat operations to restore the Third Temple.