US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
US denies reports on Aqsa Mosque custodianship coordination with ‘Israel’
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday he is not aware of media reports claiming that the United States is coordinating with ‘Israel’ to alter the Hashemite custodianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Responding to a question during a public congressional hearing, Rubio said he had “no knowledge” of such reports and had not previously heard any discussion related to the matter.
“This is the first time I’ve heard anything about it,” he said, adding that the US-Jordan relationship remains “great.”
The remarks come after a media report by Middle East Eye suggested that Washington and ‘Israel’ were coordinating efforts linked to ending Jordan’s custodial role over the holy site.
The Hashemite custodianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound - and the wider Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City - stands as a critical legal and historical pillar of regional stability.
Officially formalized in the 1994 'Israel'-Jordan treaty and reaffirmed by a 2013 pact with the Palestinian Authority, this role tasks Jordan with the day-to-day administration and financial maintenance of the sites through the Jerusalem Awqaf Department.
By preserving the historic status quo arrangement, the custodianship serves as an internationally recognized diplomatic shield, protecting the delicate religious balance of the city.
