1 year ago
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Jerusalem CNN —
Israel’s far-right nationalist information curate Itamar Ben Gvir connected Tuesday visited the Jerusalem compound known arsenic the Temple Mount by Jews and the Haram al-Sharif oregon Noble Sanctuary by Muslims, successful a determination that drew planetary condemnation.
Videos published connected Israeli media showed Ben Gvir walking done the compound surrounded by Israeli police.
Tensions are precocious implicit the flashpoint complex, which is the holiest tract successful Judaism and the 3rd holiest successful Islam. It contains the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the tract of the destroyed archetypal and 2nd Jewish Temples. Only Muslims are allowed to commune astatine the analyzable nether a decades-old agreement; Ben Gvir believes that Jews should person the close to commune determination too.
Palestinians instantly objected to the visit.
“We powerfully condemn extremist Ben Gvir’s storming of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and we see it an unprecedented provocation and a superior threat,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said successful a statement. “We clasp [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu liable for its consequences connected the struggle and the region.”
Ben Gvir entered the compound connected Tuesday but not the Al-Aqsa Mosque gathering itself. The lawmaker’s sojourn was his archetypal since helium was sworn successful past week arsenic nationalist information minister, successful what is acceptable to beryllium the astir right-wing authorities successful Israel’s history. It is led by Netanyahu, who has returned for his sixth word arsenic premier curate astatine the caput of a conjugation that includes respective extremist parties.
Ben Gvir, the person of the far-right Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party, has antecedently been convicted for supporting coercion and inciting anti-Arab racism. As nationalist information minister, helium oversees constabulary successful Israel arsenic good arsenic immoderate constabulary enactment successful the occupied West Bank.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant radical that runs Gaza, warned that Ben Gvir’s sojourn would beryllium a “precursor for the ignition of the region” and it volition beryllium “pouring substance implicit fire.”
“The Israeli authorities of which I americium a subordinate volition not surrender to a vile murdering organization,” Ben Gvir responded successful a tweet. “The Temple Mount is unfastened to everyone and if Hamas thinks that if it threatens maine it volition deter me, fto them recognize that times person changed. There is simply a authorities successful Jerusalem!”
Under the alleged presumption quo statement dating backmost to Ottoman regularisation of Jerusalem, lone Muslims are allowed to commune wrong the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, and non-Muslims are lone allowed to sojourn the analyzable astatine definite times. Israel and different states agreed to support presumption quo entree to these beatified sites aft Israel captured them successful the 1967 war.
Some spiritual nationalist Jewish groups person been demanding entree to the Temple Mount country for Jewish prayer. There person been respective instances of Jewish visitors conducting prayers connected the compound, sparking outrage from Muslim authorities and forced removals by Israeli police.
Visits by Israeli governmental figures person historically preceded periods of unit betwixt Israel and Palestinians. Notably, successful September 2000, the Second Intifada began erstwhile the blimpish absorption person Ariel Sharon visited the tract accompanied by hundreds of constabulary officers.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid criticized Netanyahu implicit the visit, calling him “weak” for entrusting the “most irresponsible antheral successful the Middle East to the astir explosive spot successful the Middle East.”
In a tweet, Lapid called the sojourn a “provocation that volition pb to unit that volition endanger quality beingness and outgo quality lives,” and said that it’s clip for Netanyahu to archer Ben Gvir, “you don’t spell up to the Temple Mount due to the fact that radical volition die.”
The sojourn besides drew a chorus of planetary criticism.
The UAE “strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard by an Israeli curate nether the extortion of Israeli forces,” successful a connection without mentioning Ben Gvir by name.
The Gulf federation has been attempting to support its enactment for the Palestinians portion balancing its recently formed concern with Israel. The state has issued past condemnations, peculiarly implicit events that rise hostility implicit the beatified sites successful Jerusalem.
Egypt’s overseas ministry “warned of the antagonistic repercussions of specified measures connected information and stability” and called “on each parties to workout restraint and work and refrain from immoderate measures that would inflame the situation.”
Jordan condemned Ben Gvir’s sojourn successful the “strongest” terms, calling it “a flagrant and unacceptable usurpation of planetary law, and of the humanities and ineligible presumption quo successful Jerusalem and its sanctities.”
Jordan’s monarchy has been the custodian of Jerusalem’s beatified sites since 1924 and sees itself arsenic the guarantor of the spiritual rights of Muslims and Christians successful the city.
The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation besides issued a connection holding Israel liable for the repercussions of “aggression” against Palestinian people.
A US embassy spokesperson said: “Ambassador (Tom) Nides has been precise wide successful conversations with the Israeli authorities connected the contented of preserving the presumption quo successful Jerusalem’s beatified sites. Actions that forestall that are unacceptable.”
The British consulate successful Jerusalem said successful a connection connected Facebook that it was “concerned” by Ben Gvir’s sojourn and said it “remains committed to the presumption quo.”
Netanyahu insisted Tuesday that his authorities was not seeking to alteration the rules astatine the site. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is committed to strictly maintaining the presumption quo, without changes, connected the Temple Mount,” a connection from his bureau said.
“We volition not beryllium dictated to by Hamas. Under the presumption quo, ministers person gone up to the Temple Mount successful caller years, including Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan; therefore, the assertion that a alteration has been made successful the presumption quo is without foundation.”
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