Jerusalem CNN —
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Tuesday visited the Jerusalem compound known by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, in a move that drew international condemnation.
Videos released in Israeli media showed Ben Gvir walking through the compound surrounded by Israeli police.
Tensions are running high around the focal complex, which is the holiest site in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam. It contains the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the site of the destroyed First and Second Jewish Temples. Only Muslims are allowed to pray in the complex under a decades-old agreement; Ben Gvir believes that Jews should also have the right to pray there.
The Palestinians immediately protested the visit.
“We condemn in the strongest terms extremist Ben Gvir’s storming of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and regard it as an unprecedented provocation and a serious threat,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We hold [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu responsible for its consequences for the conflict and the region.”
Ben Gvir entered the grounds on Tuesday, but not the Al-Aqsa Mosque building itself. The lawmaker’s visit was his first since he was sworn in as national security minister in what is arguably the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. It is led by Netanyahu, who has returned for his sixth term as prime minister at the head of a coalition that includes several extremist parties.
Ben Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party, was previously convicted of supporting terrorism and inciting anti-Arab racism. As Minister of National Security, he oversees the police force in Israel as well as some police activities in the occupied West Bank.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, warned that Ben Gvir’s visit was a “precursor to igniting the region” and would “pour fuel on the fire.”
“The Israeli government that I belong to will not surrender to a heinous murder organization,” Ben Gvir replied in a tweet. “The Temple Mount is open to all, and if Hamas thinks they will deter me by threatening me, let them understand that times have changed. There is a government in Jerusalem!”
Under the so-called status quo agreement, which dates back to Ottoman rule over Jerusalem, only Muslims are allowed to pray in the grounds of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and non-Muslims are only allowed to visit the complex at certain times. Israel and other states agreed to maintain status quo access to these holy sites after Israel captured them in the 1967 war.
Some religious nationalist Jewish groups have demanded access to the Temple Mount area for Jewish prayer. There have been several instances of Jewish visitors performing prayers at the site, prompting outrage from Muslim authorities and forced evictions by Israeli police.
Visits by Israeli politicians have preceded historic times of violence between Israel and the Palestinians. In September 2000 in particular, the Second Intifada began when conservative opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the compound, accompanied by hundreds of police officers.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid criticized Netanyahu over the visit, calling him “weak” for entrusting the “most irresponsible man in the Middle East to the most explosive place in the Middle East”.
In a tweet, Lapid called the visit a “provocation that will lead to violence that will endanger lives and take lives,” and said it was time for Netanyahu to tell Ben Gvir, “You don’t go to the Temple Mount because people are dying.” will.”
The visit also drew international criticism.
The UAE “strongly condemned the storming of the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque by an Israeli minister under the protection of Israeli forces,” in a statement without naming Ben Gvir.
The Gulf nation has sought to maintain its support for the Palestinians while balancing its newly formed partnership with Israel. The country has issued condemnations in the past, particularly over events raising tensions around the holy sites in Jerusalem.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry “warned of the negative impact of such measures on security and stability” and called on “all parties to exercise restraint and responsibility and refrain from measures that would aggravate the situation”.
Jordan condemned Ben Gvir’s visit “in the strongest possible terms,” calling it “a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international law and of the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its sanctuaries.”
The Jordanian monarchy has been the guardian of Jerusalem’s holy sites since 1924 and sees itself as the guarantor of the religious rights of Muslims and Christians in the city.
The 57-member Organization for Islamic Cooperation also issued a statement blaming Israel for the impact of the “aggression” on the Palestinian people.
A US embassy spokesman said: “Ambassador (Tom) Nides has been very explicit in discussions with the Israeli government on the issue of maintaining the status quo in Jerusalem’s holy sites. Measures that prevent this are unacceptable.”
The British consulate in Jerusalem said in a statement on Facebook it was “concerned” about Ben Gvir’s visit and said it “remains committed to the status quo”.
Netanyahu insisted on Tuesday that his government is not looking to change the rules at the site. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to strictly maintain the status quo on the Temple Mount without changes,” his office said in a statement.
“We will not let Hamas dictate us. Under the status quo, ministers have climbed the Temple Mount in recent years, including Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan; therefore the claim that a change in the status quo was made is unfounded.”