Israeli far-right minister visits contested Jerusalem holy site housing Al-Aqsa
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Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the compound housing the Al-Aqsa mosque, despite warnings that it could be provocative.
PHOTO: AFP
JERUSALEM - Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the compound that houses Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on Tuesday – a move condemned by Palestinians as provocative – despite warnings it could lead to violence.
“Our government will not surrender to the threats of Hamas,” Mr Ben-Gvir said in a statement published by his spokesman, after the Palestinian militant group warned such a move was a “red line”.
The Ynet news website carried pictures of him touring the site under heavy security.
The compound is Islam’s third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina, and Judaism’s most sacred, where Jews believe two ancient temples are located.
A White House National Security Council spokesman said on Tuesday that any unilateral action that jeopardises status quo of Jerusalem holy sites is unacceptable.
“The United States stands firmly for preservation of the status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem. Any unilateral action that jeopardises the status quo is unacceptable,” the spokesman said, adding that the US calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to preserve his commitment to the status quo of holy sites.
Mr Netanyahu, now in his sixth term as premier, has pledged to preserve the “status quo” around holy sites.
Israel’s opposition leader and former prime minister Yair Lapid had warned that such a visit by Mr Ben-Gvir would spark violence.
Only Muslim worship is allowed at the site, and there was no indication that Mr Ben-Gvir had prayed during his visit.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the extremist minister Ben-Gvir and views it as unprecedented provocation and a dangerous escalation of the conflict”.
Jordan, the custodian of Al-Aqsa and whose peace deal with Israel is unpopular at home, criticised the visit, saying it had violated international law and “the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem”.
Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which are among the few Arab states to have recognised Israel, also condemned the visit. Saudi Arabia, with which Mr Netanyahu wants to forge a peace deal, also criticised Mr Ben Gvir’s action.
Mr Ben-Gvir was sworn in last week
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian teenager during a clash in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials and witnesses said. There was no immediate comment on the incident from the Israeli army.
On Monday, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian militants during clashes near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian sources said.
Separately, US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan is planning a trip to Israel in January after the formation of a new government topped by Mr Netanyahu, a White House official said on Monday.
The meetings in Israel will come as Mr Netanyahu’s new alliance with ultra-nationalists has White House officials worried about the prospects for worsening Israel’s relations with Palestinians.
Mr Biden is also working to find common ground with the new Israeli government on an approach to stalled Iranian nuclear talks and has been re-evaluating Washington’s alliance with Saudi Arabia.
Mr Biden said on Thursday that he looked forward to working with Mr Netanyahu, who he called “my friend for decades”, and committed “to support the two-state solution and to oppose policies that endanger its viability or contradict our mutual interests and values”.
Dates for Mr Sullivan’s meetings have not been set yet, said the administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. REUTERS
