Congressional initiative to recognise Israeli sovereignty over Al-Aqsa Mosque raises alarms

Reports from Washington indicate that several US lawmakers allied with the Israeli right wing are preparing to introduce a controversial resolution in Congress that seeks to alter the long-standing status quo governing the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem.

The initiative is being led by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (Republican–New York) and Congressman Clay Higgins (Republican–Louisiana), and is backed by the Zionist Organization of America and the Middle East Truth Foundation, two right-wing groups closely associated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the draft text, the resolution calls on the US House of Representatives to affirm Israeli sovereignty over Al-Aqsa Mosque, referred to by Israel as the Temple Mount, and to recognize what it describes as “the inalienable right of the Jewish people to full access to the site and their right to pray and worship therein, in accordance with the principles of religious freedom.”

The proposal also reaffirms US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital. It describes the site as “the holiest in Judaism” and “a sacred place for Christians and Muslims,” claiming that Jews and Christians face “severe restrictions” on access compared to Muslims.

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According to the text, Muslims are allowed entry to Al-Aqsa Mosque through 11 gates, while non-Muslims may use only one gate with limited hours. It further notes that non-Muslims are barred from entering on Fridays and Saturdays, preventing Jewish worshippers from holding Sabbath prayers there.

Although framed as a matter of religious equality, analysts warn that the resolution effectively seeks to overturn the 1994 Wadi Araba Agreement between Jordan and Israel, which formally established the Hashemite custodianship over Al-Aqsa Mosque and reaffirmed the existing status quo.

Under that arrangement, the Jordanian Islamic Waqf maintains administrative and religious authority over the site. Any change to this system could carry serious political and security implications across the region.

Observers describe the initiative as a “dangerous political move”, consistent with the Israeli right’s agenda of asserting full control over occupied Jerusalem and dividing Al-Aqsa Mosque temporally and spatially — a policy long opposed by Palestinians, Jordan, and much of the international community.

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