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The Canceled Visit of the Jordanian Crown Prince to the Temple Mount
(BESA Center for Strategic Studies-Bar-Ilan University) Dr. Edy Cohen - King Abdullah sought to present his son, Crown Prince Hussein, as a defender of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. A visit of the Crown Prince to the Temple Mount was scheduled for an Islamic holy day commemorating the prophet Muhammad's purported night journey to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. However, though security arrangements for the visit had been carefully planned, Israeli authorities were surprised to discover that the number of armed bodyguards who would be accompanying the prince was significantly greater than previously agreed, which led to the cancellation of the visit. It appears there were plans to take photos of the armed Jordanian bodyguards accompanying the prince as he triumphantly entered Al-Aqsa so as to project him as protector of the mosque. This performance was intended to undermine Israel's sovereignty on the Temple Mount.