Status quo at Jerusalem's holiest site under threat as Israeli nationalists flout rules
According to an extensive BBC study of the holy compound in Jerusalem, an increase in recent weeks of Israeli nationalist visitors flouting traditional worship rules has reached a point where the status quo in place since 1967 is under threat. Jordan and other neighbouring countries have warned that a coordinated international response is required. The incidents carry potential as a fresh spark for regional tensions.
According to BBC interviews with Waqf administrators on site and Israeli security sources, a record number of nationalist visitors over the past two weeks broke the silent-prayer rule and prayed audibly inside the compound. The Jordanian Royal Waqf Administration said these moves "directly violate the 1967 status quo."
Israel Police said visitor numbers had risen but that "the intention to preserve the delicate balance remains." Police Commissioner Yair Hasidim told national media that some fringe-group moves were "outside formal policy." However, Waqf officials said the threshold for police intervention had loosened.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador in Amman for clarifications. Saudi Arabia and the UAE issued statements "condemning any violation of the status quo." The incidents are being read as a fresh risk factor in the regional diplomatic opening created in recent weeks by the Trump-Iran framework.
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