Jordan has called for an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic nations to address concerns over access and control of religious sites in Jerusalem. Jordanian officials characterize recent events at the al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock compound as violations of a longstanding arrangement that reserves the site for Muslim prayer, with only the Western Wall designated for Jewish prayer under the status quo agreement.
On July 23, more than 2,000 Israelis, including government officials and religious settlers, entered the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount to pray and conduct religious rituals. Jordanian authorities described this as the most significant breach of the agreement in modern history. Jordan has also noted concerns about recruitment efforts for a specialized police unit for the Temple Mount and anticipates additional tensions during major Jewish holidays in September, which will coincide with Israeli elections.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi stated that modifications to the existing arrangement could provoke broader regional instability, warning that Jerusalem represents a volatile situation requiring international awareness. The Hashemite monarchy has maintained custodianship of the al-Aqsa compound for over a century, with the arrangement reaffirmed following the 1967 conflict and again in the 1994 Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty. Previous incidents, including a 2000 visit by Israeli political figure Ariel Sharon, have historically triggered extended periods of violence.
Beyond the Jerusalem situation, Jordan faces additional concerns regarding broader regional developments. Officials have expressed alarm about potential mass deportation of Palestinians from the West Bank, which they characterize as a critical threshold. The country is also addressing water supply reductions, as Israel has scaled back annual water transfers from 100 million cubic meters to 50 million cubic meters, citing the 1994 peace treaty baseline. These developments have intensified domestic political pressure on the Jordanian government, with opposition parties gaining strength partly through responding to events affecting Palestinian territories.
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