A far-right Israeli minister has led hundreds of Jewish Israelis into Jerusalem’s most contested holy site, with many defying the Israeli government’s long-standing ban on Jewish prayer there.
The visit by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as Temple Mount, has been condemned as provocative by Palestinian leaders, as well as the UN and several Arab states.
Mr Ben-Gvir said in a video that “our policy is to enable Jewish prayer”.
But the Israeli prime minister’s office insisted there had been no change to the status quo agreement that allows only Muslim worship there.
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.
Situated in occupied East Jerusalem, it was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war. Under the status quo, Jordan was allowed to continue its historical role as custodian of the site, while Israel assumed control of security and access.
Palestinians accuse Israel of taking steps to undermine the arrangements and complain that in recent years Jewish visitors have often been seen praying without being stopped by Israeli police.
Videos shared on social media on Tuesday showed groups of Jewish Israelis singing the Israeli national anthem, some carrying the Israeli flag while others prostrate themselves in prayer at the edge of the holy site.
Visiting 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 enable Jewish prayer,” he went on.
He also declared that Israel “must win the war” in the Gaza Strip, and should not get involved in the talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal in order to “bring Hamas to its knees”.
Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the incident had “deviated from the status quo.”
“Israel’s policy on the Temple Mount has not changed; this is how it has been and this is how it will be,” it stressed.
In response to the statement, Mr Ben-Gvir said that it was his own policy to “enable freedom of worship for Jews in all places”.
“There is no law that permits engaging in racist discrimination against Jews at the Temple Mount or anywhere else in Israel,” he added.
However, the Palestinian foreign ministry expressed great concern about what it called a “the dangerous escalation resulting from the raids by extremist settlers on the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque”.
“The ministry will continue its political efforts to address these provocations at various levels, warning of their serious consequences on the conflict arena and the region as a whole,” a statement said.
The Jordanian Islamic endowment which administers the site, the Waqf, said more than 2,000 Israelis had entered the compound and appealed to Muslims across 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 to flout international laws and Israel’s obligations as the occupying power”.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia also said the incident violated international law, with the former adding that Mr Ben-Gvir was seeking to scupper attempts to broker a Gaza ceasefire deal.
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq called the incident “unhelpful and unduly provocative”, adding: “We are against any efforts to change the status quo within the holy sites.”
US state department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters: “Any unilateral action like this that jeopardizes such a status quo is unacceptable. And not only is it unacceptable, it detracts from what we think is a vital time, as we are working to get this ceasefire deal across the finish line.”
