UK Says Jordanian Custodianship of Al-Aqsa Must Be Respected After MEE Report
British Foreign Office affirms Jordanian custodianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque must be respected following Middle East Eye claims that US and Israel are seeking changes to Jerusalem’s status quo.
The British government has publicly reaffirmed that Jordan’s custodianship of Al-Aqsa must be respected after a Middle East Eye report alleging US and Israeli plans to alter the site’s management. The Foreign Office statement, issued in response to a letter from independent MP Shockat Adam, said London values Jordan’s role and insisted the historic status quo arrangements at Jerusalem’s holy sites be upheld.
British Foreign Office Reaffirms Support
The Foreign Office told Middle East Eye that it values Jordan’s important role as custodian of the holy sites in Jerusalem and that the long-standing status quo must be respected. This marks the first explicit restatement of that position by the UK since the recent MEE reporting raised questions about proposed changes to Al-Aqsa’s administration.
Officials in London framed the response as consistent with existing UK policy recognizing Jordan’s custodianship over Muslim and Christian sites in Jerusalem. The statement comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Israeli government’s actions in the occupied West Bank and growing diplomatic sensitivity in the region.
Summary of MEE’s Reporting on the Plan
Middle East Eye reported that US and Israeli officials were working on a plan to end the Islamic Waqf’s authority at Al-Aqsa and to create a new body under Israeli oversight. Sources cited by MEE described the proposal as one that would reclassify the compound and alter the mechanisms for worship and appointment of religious leaders.
The reporting identified figures allegedly involved in promoting the plan, including Jared Kushner and the US ambassador to Israel, and quoted multiple anonymous western, Gulf and regional sources. MEE’s account says the proposed arrangement would allow expanded Jewish access and sanction larger-group Jewish prayer at a site that is administered by the Waqf.
MP Shockat Adam’s Letter to the Foreign Secretary
Independent MP Shockat Adam sent a formal letter to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on 29 May raising constituents’ alarm over the reports. Adam asked whether the UK government had raised the matter directly with Israeli and US counterparts and sought clarity on whether London would publicly oppose any effort to undermine Jordan’s custodianship.
In his letter, Adam warned of the symbolic and practical consequences for Palestinians and Muslims globally, describing Al-Aqsa as both a place of worship and a symbol of dignity and protection. He also asked for an assessment of risks that changes to the holy sites’ status could trigger further instability or population displacement.
Reported Administrative and Worship Changes
According to the MEE account, the plan would give Israel a significant role in appointing imams and mosque officials, and in approving sermon content delivered on Fridays. The new structure described by sources would also permit formal large-group Jewish prayer within the compound, a practice that has been tightly restricted under the current status quo.
Sources told MEE that Israel would establish a new body to oversee the site and that the Waqf’s authority could be curtailed abruptly. Critics argue such moves would represent a fundamental shift in governance and the balance of religious rights at one of the city’s most contested locations.
Regional and Diplomatic Concerns
Jordan, which holds a formal custodial role acknowledged in past agreements and diplomatic arrangements, has previously expressed sensitivity to any perceived erosion of that mandate. Regional actors and Palestinian representatives have warned that unilateral changes to the status quo could inflame tensions and provoke wider unrest.
Western and Gulf sources cited in reporting expressed alarm about potential consequences for stability in Jerusalem and the West Bank. The possibility of altering worship arrangements at Al-Aqsa has drawn reactions from lawmakers and diplomats who view the site as a flashpoint that requires careful, internationally mediated management.
UK Policy Context and Potential Measures
The UK’s statement reaffirming Jordan’s custodianship arrives at a moment when ministers in London have hardened criticism of Israeli settlement expansion. According to reporting, British ministers are considering measures such as banning imports from illegal settlements, indicating a tougher stance on settlement policy even as they stress respect for historic custodial agreements in Jerusalem.
MPs and campaigners are likely to press the Foreign Office for further diplomatic steps, including formal démarches to Washington and Jerusalem if the reported plan moves forward. London’s response underscores the role that public and parliamentary pressure can play in shaping foreign policy choices related to Jerusalem and the wider Israeli-Palestinian dispute.
The coming days and weeks may reveal whether the reported proposals gain traction and how international partners, including Jordan and the UK, choose to respond diplomatically to safeguard established arrangements at Al-Aqsa.
