Approximately one year after the Waqf lost control of the Temple Mount, a Jordanian source has confirmed that his government is working to rebuild the Waqf council, Israel Hayom reported.
Tareq Khouri, a member of the Jordanian parliament, said that "a source in Jordan's Foreign Ministry promised that the Waqf Council is being created by government decision. The Jordanian guardianship of the holy places in Jerusalem is historic and difficult to relinquish to Saudi Arabia or Turkey."
"The responsibility for Jerusalem is the responsibility of the entire nation," he added. "It's not just Jordanian, Saudi, or Palestinian alone."
He also said that there has been heavy pressure on Jordan to loosen its exclusive control over the Waqf.
"There has been pressure on Jordan since it rejected the Deal of the Century, and the Jordanian nation rejects normalization. The pressure on us regarding the guardianship of the holy places is not easier than the pressure regarding the Deal of the Century."
The Waqf is the Jordanian administration in charge of the Temple Mount. Last year, following the violent incidents which occurred at the Golden Gate and Al Aqsa Mosque, Jordan expanded the Waqf, allowed the Palestinian Authority (PA) to join the council in a move which contradicts the Oslo agreements.
However, the PA members of the Waqf soon allowed Islamic-Turkish organizations to gain a foothold at the site, and according to reports on Monday, Jordan is seeking to place Saudis on the Waqf in exchange for both funding and a promise that the Saudi representatives will rid the Waqf of Turkish influence.