Jordan faces an existential choice over the defence of Al-Aqsa | Peter Oborne | MEE Opinion

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Peter Oborne, associate editor of Middle East Eye, argues that if Abdullah II goes to war to protect the holy site, Jordan may find it has more allies than US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expect. Middle East Eye reported last week that the US and Israel are conspiring to strip the Jordanian royal family of its historic custodianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The plan, reportedly being pushed by Jared Kushner and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, would also give Israel a role in approving the content of Friday sermons. By law, the custodian of Al-Aqsa Mosque is King Abdullah II of Jordan. Oborne concludes: “As Israel and the US ponder an illegal smash-and-grab raid on the third holiest site in Islam, Abdullah thus faces an existential choice: give in to Trump and Netanyahu, or fight back and risk his life and his throne.” Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at MEELive@middleeasteye.org Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye