By: Mazen al-Ja‘bari.
(Exclusively for al-Zaytouna Centre).
Has the state of war and emergency in Jerusalem become a political and security cover for reshaping the reality at al-Aqsa Mosque?
Are the Islamic holy sites witnessing the beginning of the end of the internationally recognized status quo?
Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations has published an academic paper titled: “Al-Aqsa Mosque in a Time of War: How is Israel Accelerating the Reshaping of the Status Quo? (Emergency Measures, Security, Incursions, Legislation and the Erosion of Jordanian Custodianship),” prepared by Mazen al-Ja‘bari. The paper examines Israel’s current policies toward the al-Aqsa Mosque, arguing that Israeli authorities have not treated the prevailing security conditions as a temporary emergency. Rather, they have leveraged them as a political and security opportunity to accelerate a long-term process aimed at reshaping the status quo at al-Aqsa.
The paper argues that the primary threat does not stem from any single measure, but rather from a set of interconnected policies designed to gradually erode the substance of the status quo without formally declaring its abolition. These policies include restricting Islamic access and presence, expanding raids and Jewish rituals, and strengthening the role of the Israeli police in regulating movement and worship at the site.
The paper further highlights the gradual erosion of Jordan’s practical custodial role, reducing it to a largely symbolic function within diplomatic discourse. This development is occurring alongside efforts to advance legislative initiatives, including proposed amendments to the “Holy Places Law.”
The paper points to a fundamental shift in the official approach to this issue. The push for unprecedented raids on al-Aqsa Mosque is no longer limited to “Temple Mount” groups; rather, it has entered the sphere of government decision-making. This shift was clearly reflected in a petition signed by 22 prominent politicians and ministers, demonstrating that an influential segment of Israel’s political establishment increasingly views these raids not as marginal religious practices, but as assertions of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.
The paper concludes with a forward-looking assessment that anticipates the continued gradual erosion of the status quo, while warning of potential escalatory shifts coinciding with Israeli religious and national occasions or the introduction of new legislation.
The paper concludes with a forward-looking assessment that anticipates the continued gradual erosion of the status quo, while warning of potential escalatory shifts coinciding with Israeli religious and national occasions or the introduction of new legislation.
Al-Ja‘bari stresses that developments at al-Aqsa Mosque require a sustained political and strategic response rather than sporadic or reactive measures. The issue is not merely the management of a temporary crisis, but a broader effort to redefine the parameters of sovereignty, religious authority and administrative control over al-Aqsa Mosque.
(28 pages, 2.6 MB)
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