Joe McConnell
A far-right Israeli minister led hundreds of Israeli Jews to Jerusalem’s most contested holy site, many of them defying the Israeli government’s long-standing ban on Jewish prayer there.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, has been condemned as provocative by Palestinian leaders, as well as by the UN and several Arab states.
Mr Ben-Gvir said in a video that “our policy is to allow Jewish prayer.”
But the Israeli prime minister’s office insisted that no changes had been made to the status quo agreement, which allows only Muslim worship.
The site is the holiest place for Jews because it was the site of two biblical temples. It is the third holiest place for Muslims, who believe it was where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
Located in occupied East Jerusalem, it was seized by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war. Under the status quo, Jordan was allowed to continue its historic role as custodian of the site, while Israel assumed control of security and access.
Palestinians accuse Israel of taking steps to undermine those agreements and complain that in recent years Jewish visitors have often been seen praying without being stopped by Israeli police.
On Tuesday, videos were shared on social media showing groups of Israeli Jews singing the Israeli national anthem, some holding the Israeli flag, while others prostrated themselves in prayer on the edge of the holy site.
Touring the compound escorted by Israeli police, Itamar Ben Gvir said “great progress” had been made in Israel’s “governance and sovereignty” there. “Our policy is to allow Jewish prayer,” he continued.
He also said that Israel “must win the war” in the Gaza Strip and should not be involved in talks for a ceasefire and hostage release agreement to “bring Hamas to its knees.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office later said the incident had “departed from the status quo.”
“Israel’s policy on the Temple Mount has not changed; that is how it has always been and that is how it will always be,” he stressed.
In response to the statement, Mr. Ben-Gvir said that his policy was to “allow freedom of worship for Jews everywhere.”
“There is no law that allows for racist discrimination against Jews on the Temple Mount or anywhere else in Israel,” he added.
However, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry expressed grave concern over what it called “a dangerous escalation stemming from extremist settler incursions into the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque.”
“The ministry will continue its political efforts to address these provocations at various levels, warning of their grave consequences on the conflict arena and the region as a whole,” the statement read.
The Jordanian Islamic body that administers the site, the Waqf, said more than 2,000 Israelis had entered the compound and called on Muslims around the world to help it maintain the status quo.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said the incident reflected “the insistence of the Israeli government and its extremist members in violating international law and Israel’s obligations as an occupying power.”
Egypt and Saudi Arabia also said the incident violated international law, with the former adding that Ben-Gvir was trying to thwart efforts to broker a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
UN spokesman Farhan Haq called the incident “unnecessary and overly provocative,” adding: “We are against any attempt to change the status quo inside the holy sites.”
U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters: “Any unilateral action like this that would jeopardize that status quo is unacceptable. And not only is it unacceptable, but it detracts from what we think is a crucial moment as we work to finalize this ceasefire agreement.”
