(RNS) — At first, last week’s investigative report by Middle East Eye journalists, revealing a secret U.S.-Israel plan to end Jordanian custodianship of Jerusalem’s most contentious holy site, seemed far-fetched. The plan purports to replace Jordan’s administrative body with an Israeli-appointed one that would reframe the Muslim site, allowing public access to a “multifaith center.” When questioned, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared surprised. “I’m not even aware of those reports. …  I’ve never heard that,” he said in a congressional hearing about the matter. Rubio then stressed the “great” partnership between the U.S. and Jordan.  But those on the ground were not surprised by the report. The long-standing status quo, dating back to 19th-century Ottoman rule and reinforced by international resolutions and the 2014 U.S.-Israel-Jordan agreement, has been to preserve the site for Muslim worship and allow visitors of other faiths. But in practice, that agreement has been eroding for decades, increasingly so since the war in Gaza in late 2023.  The 14-hectare compound, which includes Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, holds deep …