Jordan has called for an emergency gathering of foreign ministers from Arab League nations along with Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan to address concerns about Israeli actions at one of Islam’s holiest sites in Jerusalem. Jordanian officials characterize the situation as representing an imminent threat capable of triggering a broader religious conflict with regional consequences.
The Jordanian response follows a significant incident on 23 July when more than 2,000 Israeli religious activists, including settlers and led by the national security minister, entered the compound housing al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. According to Jordanian authorities, this constituted the most severe violation of the historical status quo in modern times. Jordan’s foreign minister indicated that the government is also monitoring a recruitment initiative aimed at assembling a dedicated police unit composed of religious Jews for the Temple Mount area.
Jordan’s authority over these Islamic holy sites dates to Ottoman times and was formally recognized through international agreements including the 1878 Treaty of Berlin and reaffirmed following the 1967 war and in the 1994 Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty. Historical precedent demonstrates the sensitivity of the location: a 2000 visit by the Israeli leader Ariel Sharon sparked more than four years of violent conflict. Officials in Amman have expressed concerns that upcoming major Jewish holidays in September, coinciding with Israeli elections, may bring further escalations.
Beyond the immediate religious site concerns, Jordan faces broader anxieties regarding potential Israeli actions in the West Bank, including possible mass displacement of Palestinians that could destabilize the kingdom demographically and economically. Additional tensions have emerged over water agreements, with Israel reducing its annual supply to Jordan below previously agreed levels. These cumulative pressures have increased domestic political opposition to Jordan’s relationship with Israel, with Islamist political movements gaining significant parliamentary representation partly in response to regional developments. The situation reflects the complex balance Jordan must maintain given its geographic position, economic dependencies, and the presence of U.S. military forces on its territory.
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