Knesset cancels debate of Israeli custodianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Israel’s Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein has cancelled a scheduled debate in the Knesset on Tuesday to consider Israel’s custodianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The proposal was initiated by lawmaker MP Moshe Feiglin of the Likud party who claimed: “The Muslim Waqf [the Muslim religious trust on the Temple Mount, overseen by Jordan] is exploiting the religious autonomy it received [from Israel in 1967] and turned it into near-total Muslim/Jordanian sovereignty.”

Israeli radio said the Knesset’s decision follows uproars from the Jordanian government and international community over the issue. According to the radio reports; Feiglin had no previous knowledge of the Knesset’s decision.

Feiglin proposal angered Jordan’s Parliament on Sunday where lawmakers demanded their government resort to a military option to respond to Israel.