Occupied Jerusalem: Changing the Status Quo Will Spark a Tragic War

By Mohammad Alqeeq

Israel is insisting on implementing its plans in occupied Jerusalem at the expense of the understandings regarding Jordanian guardianship and even the stability of the region. The latest violations by the Israeli government and its supremacists inside the holy city reveal clear signs of a sovereignty plan.

The story accelerated significantly when Trump undermined the hope of peace in his first term by declaring the “Deal of the Century” as the only path to Middle East stability. At that time, he moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem, seeking to legitimize his declaration that the city is the capital of Israel only.

That decision was a major signal of the US’s bad intentions regarding a two-state solution. Israel took it as a green light to accelerate its plans, coinciding with widespread international condemnation of Trump’s decisions.

The decision was part of the “Deal of the Century,” which aimed to erase Palestinian existence to pave the way for Israeli expansion and impose complete sovereignty over the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

Sabotage Attempts

The second factor was the weak response of Arab states and the absence of genuine will from the international community, especially the EU.

As a result, Israel took advantage of the situation to create a new reality and change the rules of the game in several ways, consolidated by the factors above.

Some of these measures include:

• In 2015, Israel implemented a plan for spatial and temporal division in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque, preventing Muslims from entering at specific times. This coincided with intensified settler invasions under the pretext of organizing the timing and location to avoid conflict. The move sparked the Al-Quds Intifada, leaving thousands of victims, wounded, and detained.

• In 2017, Israel installed electronic gates at the entrances to Al-Aqsa Mosque to gauge reactions from Palestinians, the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the international community. However, the Palestinians’ daily sit-ins and demonstrations surprised Israel, creating a global wall of refusal against Israeli policy.

• After Trump’s Jerusalem decision, the Israeli government and settlers intensified efforts to implement their plan by demolishing hundreds of Palestinian homes, expelling dozens of Jerusalemites, and storming and desecrating Al-Aqsa Mosque. These practices contributed to several wars with Gaza in 2019, 2021, and 2023, the last of which extended to neighboring countries.

The resilience and resistance of Palestinians have obstructed these plans, but Israel continues to pursue its goals.

Obliterating the Status Quo

Despite the already precarious status quo in the occupied capital city, Israel has worsened it to serve its interests and ambitions of complete sovereignty.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stormed the town of Silwan near Al-Aqsa Mosque, while his Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, entered the mosque courtyard to send internal and external messages. This coincided with intensified settler attacks against Palestinians in the Old City and surrounding areas, under Israeli police protection.

These actions aim to intimidate Palestinians, forcing them either to leave the city or remain confined to their homes. They reflect high coordination between the Israeli government and settlers to implement a plan to empty Jerusalem and its holy sites, including Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Accelerated incursions by supremacists send a direct message to Israeli society that Jerusalem’s sovereignty is entirely under Israeli control, while signaling to the international community that efforts to recognize Palestine will fail.

The public appearances of Netanyahu and his ministers at Al-Aqsa, nearby towns, and the Silwan tunnel network attempt to impose a new reality, framed by their standards, paving the way for building a temple in place of Al-Aqsa. This aligns with their broader plan to make Israel a state exclusively for Jews, supported by Trump’s promises and statements regarding Palestinian expulsion.

In 2023 and 2024, Israel allowed settlers to pray in the Al-Aqsa courtyard, including performing the prostration ritual, further adding insult to injury. In 2025, the government sponsored these incursions while tightening security measures against Palestinians, including Jordanian department employees supervising guardianship.

Official US presence at the Israeli Flag March on May 25, which celebrates the occupation of Jerusalem, serves as ultimate evidence of political support for Trump’s declaration and the current annexation plan.

This stance aligns with the behavior of Ben-Gvir and Smotritch, sending a warning and deterrent message to Arab countries and the world.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson and his wife, Kelly Larry, visited the illegal settlement of Shiloh in the West Bank, part of efforts to legitimize Israel’s actions in the region.

The threats are increasing, and the status quo is deteriorating, potentially enabling Netanyahu’s ambitions to demolish Al-Aqsa Mosque and expand further into the West Bank and Arab territories. Without accountability or strong international stances, this will lead to wider confrontation and escalation.

To halt violence and Israeli violations, the international community must intervene directly, demonstrating that Israel is not above the law and must be held accountable.

Meanwhile, international public opinion has increasingly shifted in favor of Palestine. This must be respected and acted upon promptly to prevent further escalation.