Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir staged his fourth incursion since October last year into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday (December 26). His actions received condemnation from the Arab League and Jordan.
“I went up to our holy place this morning to pray for the safety of our soldiers, for the speedy return of all those kidnapped, and for complete victory with God’s help,” Ben-Gvir posted on X along with a picture of him in the holy site.
No Change In The Status Quo
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office quickly issued a statement affirming that the longstanding status quo, which prohibits Jews from praying atop the mount, remains unchanged.
Changes to the status quo at the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam, often stir strong emotions and are frequently cited as a trigger for religious violence.
Condemnations
The visit by far-right Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was condemned by Knesset member Mansour Abbas of the Islamist Ra’am party, who accused him of “desecrating the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” referring to the Muslim place of worship atop the mount.
Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit slammed Ben-Gvir’s entry into the holy site.
“The incursion is a blatant provocation aimed at inflaming emotions and escalating the situation,” Aboul-Gheit was quoted in a statement by the pan-Arab. “Israel, through these rejected and condemned policies, is deliberately destroying all possibilities for peaceful coexistence among religions in the region,” he added.
Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed Ben-Gvir’s storming of the complex, saying that his actions were “an attempt to impose temporal and spatial division.”
“This is a provocative step that is rejected and condemned and a violation of the historical and legal status quo in the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, and of the obligations of Israel, the occupying power, in occupied Jerusalem,” the Ministry said on X.
The Hamas terrorist group, responsible for the deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, also responded to Ben-Gvir’s visit by urging Palestinians to “confront the occupation and escalate the situation.”
Temple Mount Prayer Restrictions Stir Controversy
While Jews are officially prohibited from praying at the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, which was once the center of religious life in ancient Israel, the Israel Police — under the jurisdiction of Ben-Gvir’s ministry — has increasingly allowed limited prayer at the site.
The status quo governing the compound permits Muslims to pray and generally access the site with minimal restrictions, while non-Muslims, including Jews, can visit only during specific time slots and are prohibited from praying.
