A far-right Israeli minister earned international condemnation on Tuesday by praying with thousands of Jews at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in east Jerusalem, ignoring a ban on Jews praying at the disputed site.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has often ignored the Israeli government’s long-term ban, vowed to “defeat Hamas” in Gaza in a video filmed during his visit.
The compound is Islam’s third holiest site and a symbol of Palestinian national identity, but it is also Judaism’s holiest, venerated as the site of the ancient temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Although Jews and other non-Muslims are allowed to visit the mosque compound in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem during specified times, they are not permitted to pray or display religious symbols.
The visit comes at a tense time in the 10-month-long Israel-Hamas war, with ceasefire efforts failing and Israel facing threats of attacks from Iran and its allies.
Ben Gweir’s latest visit was strongly condemned by Muslim countries as well as Western powers including the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ben Gvir showed “blatant disregard” for the status quo at the site and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop such actions.
“These provocative actions escalate tensions at a critical moment when the focus should be on ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a (Gaza) ceasefire agreement, secure the release of all hostages, and create conditions for broader regional stability,” he said.
Days earlier, the White House strongly rebuked another right-wing member of Netanyahu’s Cabinet, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had criticized President Joe Biden’s effort to broker a Gaza ceasefire.
In recent years, restrictions on the compound have been violated by radical religious nationalists such as Ben Gvir, sometimes leading to violent reactions from Palestinians.
An official for the Jordanian Waqf institution told AFP that on Tuesday morning he and about 2,250 other Israelis walked through the compound in groups singing Jewish hymns under the protection of Israeli police.
He said Israeli police also “imposed restrictions” on Muslim worshippers trying to enter the mosque, adding that more than 700 Jews also prayed there in the afternoon.
“Minister Ben Gvir is overseeing a Judaization campaign and trying to change the situation inside Al-Aqsa Mosque rather than maintaining the status quo at the mosque,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak on the matter.
– ‘Unnecessarily provocative’ –
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the “attack” on the mosque as a “flagrant violation of international law”.
“The continued violations of the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its sanctity require a clear and firm international stance condemning these violations,” ministry spokesman Sufyan al-Qudah said in a statement.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, an umbrella group of Muslim-majority countries, “strongly condemned” the incident, saying it was “an outrage against the feelings of Muslims all over the world”.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the UN is “against any attempt to change the status quo of sacred sites.”
“This type of behavior is inappropriate and unnecessarily provocative,” he said.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell posted on Twitter that the EU “strongly condemns the provocative action” by Ben Gvir.
“This new provocation is unacceptable,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement.
Photos posted on social media networks showed Ben Gvir inside the compound while a number of Israelis lie on the ground performing Talmudic rituals.
Ben Gvir released a video statement on X, which he filmed himself inside the compound, in which he reiterated his opposition to any ceasefire in the war in Gaza.
“We must win this war. We must win it and not go back to negotiations in Doha or Cairo,” he said, referring to US-backed talks on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release that are due to resume on Thursday.
“We can defeat Hamas … we have to bring them to their knees,” Ben Gvir said.
The entry into the Al-Aqsa compound on Tuesday occurred on Tisha B’Av, the Jewish day of mourning which commemorates the destruction of the ancient Temple.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)