Israel's Al-Aqsa actions risk wider conflict, warn Arab and Muslim nations

A stark warning has emerged from a meeting of foreign ministers in Jordan, where 10 Arab League nations, alongside Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia, declared that Israeli actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem could ignite a religious conflict with far-reaching consequences.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi expressed grave concern, stating that "tampering with the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound could trigger a religious conflict that will reverberate beyond Palestine and Jordan into the whole Muslim world." The ministers' statement highlighted mounting evidence that the Israeli government is allegedly altering a long-standing agreement governing intercommunal peace at the site, which holds immense religious significance for Muslims, Jews, and Christians.

Al-Aqsa, Islam's third-holiest site, is also Judaism's holiest and holds importance for Christians. Politically, it is seen as a symbol of Palestinian identity and a potential flashpoint in the struggle for a Palestinian state. Since Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, a delicate "status quo" has largely prevailed: Muslims worship freely, while Jews can visit but not pray at the compound, often worshipping instead at the Western Wall below.

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We warn that tampering with the status quo … could trigger a religious conflict that will reverberate beyond Palestine and Jordan into the whole Muslim world.

Jordan maintains custodianship of the site through the Islamic Waqf, funded annually at approximately $20 million. Israeli authorities handle security. However, recent reports suggest this balance is shifting. Monitors in Jerusalem indicate that dozens of Jordanian-employed mosque officials have been barred from Al-Aqsa this year, and the number of Muslim worshippers has reportedly halved in 2025. Concurrently, more Jewish worshippers are reportedly being allowed in and are increasingly engaging in rituals previously forbidden for decades.

In response to the international concerns, Israel's Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling the claims inaccurate. They asserted that Jerusalem "has never been more open and accessible to worshippers of all faiths."

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Jerusalem has never been more open and accessible to worshippers of all faiths.