A group of pro-Israel US lawmakers plans to present a disputed congressional resolution that aims to establish Israeli control over the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, while risking major diplomatic disruptions and widespread Middle Eastern instability. Multiple news sources report that the proposed resolution aims to assess all current diplomatic agreements established over previous decades.
Lawmakers Spearhead Controversial Initiative
The resolution, which Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney from New York and Congressman Clay Higgins from Louisiana support, demands that the US House of Representatives validate Israel’s self-governance of the Temple Mount, which Muslims consider their sacred site. The draft proposal asks members of Congress to support Jewish people’s absolute right to visit the site while allowing them to perform religious rituals there, according to Jewish Insider.
The Zionist Organization of America and Middle East Truth Foundation support this initiative because these organizations maintain strong ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The resolution maintains US support for Jerusalem as the complete capital of Israel, which President Donald Trump established through his 2017 declaration that caused worldwide diplomatic tensions.
Challenge to International Agreements
The proposed resolution breaks the 1994 Wadi Araba Treaty between Israel and Jordan because it violates Jordan’s authority to manage Muslim sacred sites in Jerusalem. The October 26, 1994, peace agreement recognized Jordan’s special status at Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.
Jordan took responsibility for protecting Christian and Muslim sacred sites in Jerusalem when Sharif Hussein received public recognition as the guardian of the holy sites in 1924. The Jordanian government maintained its position as the guardian of the sacred site after it surrendered West Bank sovereignty to Israel in 1988. The United Nations, together with UNESCO, the Arab League, the European Union, Russia, and the United States, has officially acknowledged Jordan’s custodianship role.
Status Quo Under Threat
The proposed resolution endangers the established “status quo” system, which has protected Al-Aqsa Mosque since the 19th century, by restricting Muslim prayer access to the 144-dunum (35.5-acre) compound while allowing non-Muslims to visit. The compound has remained under Jordanian custodianship through the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf since the 19th century.
The proposed resolution argues that Jewish and Christian visitors experience “severe restrictions” because of Muslims.
Expert Analysis and Regional Concerns
The political action represents a dangerous Israeli right-wing strategy to control Jerusalem completely while splitting Al-Aqsa Mosque into different time zones and areas, according to Press TV observers. Security experts warn that Israeli control over this holy Islamic site will create massive religious unrest at levels never seen before.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas declared the proposed resolution as a direct attack against the sacred nature of Al-Aqsa, according to Kayhan International. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stated that international law prohibits occupying powers from altering the current status of occupied territories, while Israel must fulfill its international legal duties.
International Law and Humanitarian Context
The decision takes place at a moment when Israel faces rising international attention because of its unlawful actions in territories that Israel occupies. The UN Security Council has passed multiple resolutions about Israel’s East Jerusalem annexation because it breaks international law and demands that Israel vacate territories it seized during the 1967 war.
The resolution emerges as Israel maintains its military strikes against Gaza, which have killed 68,800 Palestinians, including many women and children, since October 2023, according to Press TV. The United States supports Israel through increased military funding, which critics claim allows Israel to perform systematic attacks against Palestinians.