Abdullah II seeks King Mohammed VI’s support to preserve his custodianship of Al Quds holy sites 

King Abdullah II is visiting Morocco on March the 27th and 28th. The Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem holy sites is expected to be at the heart of King Abdullah’s meetings in the Kingdom.

The Jordanian sovereign is, in fact, flying to Rabat to seek the support of King Mohammed VI, in his capacity as Chairman of Al Quds Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to protect his custodianship of Jerusalem’s holy sites against the «Deal of the Century» orchestrated by the Trump administration, Israel and some Arab states.

Implementing this «plan» would, indeed, bring drastic changes to the status of Jordan and its custodianship over Christian and Muslim sites in the city of Al Quds. This change would, also, do harm to the prestige of the Hashemite dynasty that has long ruled Mecca and Medina before being bluntly chased by Abdelaziz Ben Saud.

The Jordanian monarchy has been managing Al Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock (Kobbat Assakhra) and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher since 1946.

Morocco's support to Jordan's custodianship

On Friday, March the 22nd, in Istanbul, and during the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), King Abdullah stressed that the «Hashemite custodianship of holy sites in Jerusalem is a historic responsibility». A few days earlier, the King said that to him, «Jerusalem is a red line», adding : «My position on Jerusalem is unwavering».

It is worth noting that Morocco has always insisted on respecting this right. In January 2014 in Marrakech, the Al Quds Committee, chaired by Mohammed VI, «welcomed the role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in protecting Muslim and Christian holy sites in Al Quds, assumed by His Majesty Abdullah II».

In 2015 in New York, the Executive Council of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation commended «the Hashemite custodianship administered by His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of Jordan». The peace agreements with Israel signed in 1994, and the ones concluded with the Palestinian Authority, in 2013, have moreover consecrated this status.

Despite some recent political disagreements, Rabat and Amman have always worked to safeguard the both Christian and Muslim character of the holy city. To this day, Morocco had set up in 1998 the Agency Beit Mal Al Quds Acharif.

King Abdullah II's visit to Morocco comes just days before the arrival of Pope Francis in Rabat. The Vatican is particularly concerned with the behind-the-scenes of the «Deal of the Century».