8:14 p.m. ET, January 28, 2020
The plan would allow all faiths to pray at key site in Jerusalem
From CNN’s Oren Liebermann and Amir Tal
Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images
The White House’s vision for Middle East peace appears to upset one of the fundamental aspects of the status quo, by opening up the holiest site in Jerusalem to prayer of all faiths.
Until now, prayer at the site, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as Temple Mount, was allowed only to Muslims. Jews and Christians could visit the site as tourists, but they were barred from praying at the site.
The White House plan appears to propose opening up prayer to Jews and Christians, which has been a call of religious, right-wing leaders for years.
The plan starts out by saying, “In particular, the status quo at the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif should continue uninterrupted.”
But then it goes on immediately to say:
Jerusalem’s holy sites should remain open and available for peaceful worshippers and tourists of all faiths. People of every faith should be permitted to pray on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, in a matter that is fully respectful to their religion, taking into account the times of each religion’s prayers and holidays, as well as other religious factors.