Jordan pushing to restore Jerusalem mosque status quo

Jordan has intensified efforts to push Israel to respect the historic status quo of Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque and avoid violent confrontations that could threaten a wider conflict, Jordanian officials and Western diplomats said on Thursday.

The officials said Jordan had notified Washington it was ready to discuss the issue with Israel after the end of the holy month of Ramadan next week. The aim would be to identify steps that Israel could take to return conditions at the mosque to those of 22 years ago.

Jordan accuses Israel of having gradually changed restrictions on worship at the mosque since 2000.

The new diplomatic effort is “to deal with the roots of the tension and ensure that matters don’t explode again,” a Jordanian official who requested anonymity said, adding that Washington had recently been given a paper that “clearly” stated the kingdom’s position.

Clashes over the past two weeks between Palestinians and Israeli police at the mosque compound have stoked Arab anger and international concern about a slide back to a wider Israeli- Palestinian conflict.

A tinder- box for Israeli- Arab antagonism, the compound, known as the Noble Sanctuary, is the third holiest site in Islam. Jews refer to it as the Temple Mount and regard it as the holiest site in Judaism.

A Western diplomat said Jordan’s proposal did not include convening a joint committee with Israel concerning Muslim and Christian shrines in the Old City of Jerusalem. Several Israeli media outlets said it did, but Jordan is unwilling to concede a such a formal role for Israel.