Arab Challenges to Jordan’s Custodianship of Holy Sites in Jerusalem

Arab Challenges to Jordan's Custodianship of Holy Sites in Jerusalem Michael Sharnoff (bio) The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan celebrated in 2021 its centennial anniversary of the establishment of the Emirate of Transjordan. Throughout its existence, Jordan has faced many challenges to its security and stability.1 Its primary Arab challenge from the 1950s to the 1980s consisted of threats from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Tunisia. They denounced the Hashemites as obstacles to Arab unity and tools of Western imperialism. They also slandered Jordan as an artificial entity, engaged in subversion, and assassinated Jordanian leaders. After Jordan's decision to disengage legal and administrative ties to the West Bank on July 31, 1988, Arab challenges shifted from terrorism against Jordanian leaders and threatening the kingdom's existence to challenging the Hashemite custodianship role in Jerusalem. Indeed, from the early 1990s until 2013, Jordanians have accused the PLO and Saudi Arabia of seeking influence in Jerusalem to undermine the Hashemite custodianship. Jordanian concerns about a Saudi role in Jerusalem resurfaced under the Trump Administration in 2017 with some believing a peace deal would be reached favorably for Riyadh at Amman's expense. End Page 57 This article will demonstrate how Arab challenges manifest in two distinct phases: The first phase (1953–88) consists of Jordan's struggle against revolutionary, anti-monarchial regimes, and rivalry over the right to represent Palestine, which included assassinations, military intervention, and subversion. The second phase (1988-present) consists of a shift from military threats and terrorist attacks against Jordan to efforts to undermine the Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian holy sites. Additionally, the Trump administration and the so-called Deal of the Century have reawakened Jordanian suspicions of a plot to destabilize the kingdom and transform it into an alternative Palestinian homeland known as the al-watan al-badil conspiracy. Historical Context In 1925, a power struggle over the right to rule in the Hijaz and guard Islam's holiest sites in Mecca and Medina resulted in the expulsion of Hussein bin Ali by Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, the father of Saudi King Salman. Hussein bin Ali was the last of the Hashemite Sharifian guardians of Mecca and Medina in an unbroken succession since 1201 CE and had led the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The Hashemites were exiled from the Hijaz region of Arabia and lost control of the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina, which was transferred to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.2 One of Hussein's sons, Abdullah I, helped establish the Emirate of Transjordan in 1921. This was elevated to Kingdom on March 22, 1946, and it changed its name from Transjordan to Jordan on June 2, 1949. The Palestinian Arabs, the majority population west of the River Jordan, provided the Hashemites with an opportunity to enhance their legitimacy when in 1924 they requested aid to renovate and protect Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. Sharif (later, King) Hussein donated 24 thousand gold liras to repair the Al-Aqsa Mosque and was buried in the al-Haram al-Sharif in 1931.3 The British Mandate of Palestine expired on May 14, 1948, and David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the state of Israel. The following day, End Page 58 Transjordan and the other neighboring Arab states invaded Israel under the pretext of saving Palestine. During the 1948 war, Transjordan occupied East Jerusalem and a central region of Mandatory Palestine, known biblically as Judea and Samaria, and later renamed the West Bank. The kingdom's military conquest resulted in a major demographic shift as the roughly 350,000 East Bank Transjordanians absorbed approximately 900,000 Palestinian Arabs.4 Abdullah did not conceal his determination to represent the Arabs of Palestine, even if it involved a power struggle with the Palestinian leadership and meant going against the Arab League. On September 1, 1948, Transjordan warned the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, not to fight in any new war against the Jews in Palestine. Abdullah conveyed that the Mufti lacked international legitimacy after the closure of the Palestine Arab Higher Committee, which...