Trump Will Buy Dome Of The Rock, Get Waqf To Pay For It

The price of the property has not been disclosed.

Jerusalem, April 26 – Amid rumors of US President Donald Trump planning a visit to Israel at the end of May, reports have also emerged that the chief executive will purchase the gold-topped Dome of the Rock Shrine on the Temple Mount, and rechristen it with his own moniker, in addition to forcing the Muslim religious council that administers the site to pay for the acquisition.

Administration officials speaking on condition of anonymity told journalists that in addition to a contemplated move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Israel’s declared capital, the president intended to gain personal ownership of perhaps the most contested holy sites in the world, venerated by all three Abrahamic religions.

“Regarding a visit to Israel by the president, I can neither confirm nor deny at this stage,” cautioned one White House official. “Of course the president intends to go to Israel at some point. The main question is one of timing. What I can disclose, however, is that the Dome of the Rock will soon be called something else, and it will not cost the American taxpayer a dime, because the president will force the Waqf to cover the costs.”

The price of the property has not been disclosed, but real estate experts put its monetary value at upwards of ten billion dollars. “The Old City of Jerusalem is already affordable only for the wealthy,” explained Ranit Nahum-HaLevi, who writes about Israeli real estate for foreign investors. “But the Waqf is in a different league entirely. They get ridiculous sums from Muslims around the world, in addition to large donations from, for example, the Saudi royal family, who wish to burnish their Islamic credentials. The Waqf can afford it, especially if they cut down on enforcement of anti-Jewish discrimination policies at the site, freeing up funds for the Dome of the Trump,” as she called it.

The administration’s relative silence on the visit, and on the purchase, has fueled further speculation as to what Trump will rename the site. “We more or less know that it will include the name ‘Trump,’ of course,” acknowledged Larry Silverstein, a real estate developer. “But beyond that, it could be anything from an understated ‘Dome of the Trump Rock’ to  ‘The Trump Dome of the Rock,’ which I would say is more in keeping with his style.”

“One thing is for sure, though,” added Silverstein. “He won’t need to plate the whole thing in gold, because it was already done – which Saudi Arabia paid for.”

(h/t @LahavHarkov)

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