Israel’s far-right minister has led hundreds of Jewish Israelis into Jerusalem’s most controversial holy site, with many defying the Israeli government’s longstanding ban on Jews praying there.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gweil’s visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, was condemned by Palestinian leaders, the United Nations and several Arab countries.
“Our policy is to allow Jews to pray,” Mr. Ben-Gewell said in the video.
But the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office insists that the current agreement, which only allows Muslims to pray, has not changed.
The site is the holiest site for the Jewish people as it is the site of two biblical temples. It is the third holiest site for Muslims, who believe it is the place where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
It is located in occupied East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war. Under the status quo, Jordan is allowed to continue its historic role as custodian of the site, while Israel assumes control of security and access.
Palestinians accuse Israel of taking steps to undermine those arrangements and complain that in recent years it has been common to see Jewish tourists praying without being stopped by Israeli police.
Video shared on social media on Tuesday showed a group of Jewish Israelis singing the Israeli national anthem, some holding Israeli flags and others kneeling in prayer at the edge of the holy site.
Itamar Ben Gvir, who visited the compound accompanied by Israeli police, said Israel had made “tremendous progress” in “governance and sovereignty” there. “Our policy is to enable Jews to pray,” he continued.
He also declared that Israel “must win the war in the Gaza Strip” and should not engage in negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release agreement to “bring Hamas to its knees.”
Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the incident “deviated from the status quo.”
“Israel’s policy towards the Temple Mount has not changed; it has been as it has been in the past and will remain so in the future,” it stressed.
Responding to the statement, Mr Ben-Gewell said it was his own policy to “provide Jews with freedom of worship everywhere”.
“No law permits racist discrimination against Jews on the Temple Mount or anywhere else in Israel,” he added.
However, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry expressed serious concern about “the dangerous escalation caused by extremist settler attacks on the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque”.
“The ministry will continue its political efforts to address these provocations at all levels and warn of their serious consequences for conflict zones and the region as a whole,” a statement said.
Waqf, the Jordanian Islamic foundation that manages the site, said more than 2,000 Israelis had entered the compound and called on Muslims around the world to help maintain the status quo.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said the incident reflected “the Israeli government and its extremist elements’ persistent disregard for international law and Israel’s obligations as an occupying power”.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia also said the incident violated international law, with Egypt adding that Ben-Gweil was trying to block efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.
U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq called the incident “unhelpful and overly provocative,” adding: “We oppose any efforts to change the status quo in the Holy Land.”
State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters: “Any unilateral action that undermines the status quo is unacceptable. Not only is it unacceptable, it detracts from what we believe is a crucial moment as we Work towards a ceasefire.
