Wave of international criticism after Ben Gvir visits flashpoint Temple Mount - The Times of Israel

There was a question of planetary condemnation connected Tuesday aft National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s sojourn successful the greeting to the flashpoint Temple Mount site, which houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque, arsenic constabulary reportedly raised their alertness level successful Jerusalem.

Jordan, which views itself arsenic a custodian of the Temple Mount — a presumption Israel does not recognize, though it acknowledged the kingdom’s “special role” astatine the tract successful the countries’ 1994 bid pact — said it powerfully condemned the far-right minister’s visit.

“Jordan condemns successful the severest of presumption the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and usurpation of its sanctity,” the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said successful a statement, according to the Reuters quality agency.

Ben Gvir did not participate the mosque. He made a 15-minute sojourn to the Temple Mount compound astir 7 a.m. — during the clip Jews are allowed to participate the tract — which helium has done earlier connected galore occasions, though Tuesday’s travel was his archetypal arsenic a minister, causing it to transportation much weight.

A spokesperson for the US Embassy successful Israel responded to the minister’s visit, saying the presumption quo indispensable beryllium maintained astatine beatified sites, and that Jerusalem understood Washington’s presumption connected the matter.

“Ambassador 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 spokesperson said.

The United Arab Emirates condemned Ben Gvir and denounced his “storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard.” The Gulf federation besides called for an extremity to “serious and provocative violations.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been slated to soon visit the UAE connected his archetypal authoritative trip, but it was postponed connected Tuesday owed to “logistical reasons.” Officials denied determination was immoderate transportation betwixt the trip’s cancellation and Ben Gvir’s sojourn to the Temple Mount, the Ynet quality tract reported.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry besides joined the question of condemnation implicit “the provocative enactment by an Israeli authoritative who stormed” the flashpoint site. Netanyahu has often expressed anticipation for advancement successful normalization betwixt Israel and Saudi Arabia, which has conditioned the constitution of diplomatic ties betwixt the countries connected the instauration of a Palestinian state.

The French embassy successful Israel confirmed its “absolute commitment” to the preservation of the presumption quo astatine the beatified sites successful Jerusalem.

“Any motion aimed astatine casting uncertainty connected it carries a hazard of escalation and indispensable beryllium avoided,” the French connection read.

The United Kingdom issued a akin statement, with Israel envoy Ambassador Neil Wigan tweeting: “The UK remains committed to supporting the historical presumption quo astatine the beatified sites successful Jerusalem. It is important that each actors debar actions astatine those sites that inflame tensions.”

However, an authoritative successful the Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu was committed to “strictly protecting the presumption quo connected the Temple Mount without immoderate change.”

The authoritative said that Israel “will not surrender to Hamas directives,” and noted that arsenic portion of the presumption quo, ministers person visited the Temple Mount successful the past, including erstwhile nationalist information curate Gilad Erdan.

“The assertion that determination is simply a alteration successful the presumption quo is baseless,” the authoritative concluded.

Ben Gvir’s sojourn came hours aft reports said that helium had agreed to postpone his planned travel pursuing a gathering with Netanyahu, and contempt condemnation from the absorption and threats from the Gaza-ruling Hamas panic group.

According to Channel 12 news, constabulary raised the alert level successful Jerusalem successful the hours aft Ben Gvir’s visit. There was nary authoritative announcement connected the matter.

The Temple Mount is believed by Jews to beryllium the historical determination of the 2 Jewish Temples, making it Judaism’s holiest site. It is besides the third-holiest for Muslims, who notation to it arsenic the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound oregon the Noble Sanctuary.

Israel captured the Temple Mount and Jerusalem’s Old City from Jordan successful the 1967 Six Day War. However, it allowed the Jordanian Waqf to proceed to support spiritual authorization atop the mount.

Provocations and unit astatine the tract person often turned into wider conflagrations.

Opposition person Yair Lapid, who connected Monday warned the sojourn would pb to bloodshed, said that Ben Gvir had highlighted weakness connected the portion of Netanyahu.

“The State of Israel does not judge dictates from anyone regarding its security, but to quarrel with fractional the satellite conscionable truthful that Ben Gvir tin walk 13 minutes connected the Temple Mount is governmental irresponsibility and unthinkable weakness from Netanyahu successful the look of his ministers,” Lapid tweeted.

Diplomats from respective unnamed Arab states reportedly reached retired to Jerusalem up of Ben Gvir’s sojourn to explicit their concern, saying specified steps could pb to a deterioration of the information concern successful Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the broader region.

The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry condemned the sojourn connected Tuesday, calling it an “unprecedented provocation and a unsafe escalation of the conflict.”

“Netanyahu bears work for this onslaught connected Al-Aqsa,” the PA said successful a statement.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh claimed specified “incursions” were an effort “to crook the Al-Aqsa Mosque into a Jewish temple.”

Netanyahu connected Monday discussed with Ben Gvir the latter’s stated volition to sojourn the site. The contented of the speech was not made public. A connection issued by Ben Gvir’s bureau aft their talks had said helium would sojourn the Temple Mount “in the upcoming weeks.”

Hebrew media reports indicated that the 2 had agreed that Ben Gvir would clasp disconnected connected visiting the flashpoint tract for the clip being. However, Likud insisted this was not the case. Rather, it said, aft discussions with information officials, Netanyahu avoided recommending to the far-right curate that helium refrain from visiting.

The sojourn by Ben Gvir, whose ministry is successful complaint of policing, was held aft an appraisal with information and constabulary officials, his bureau said successful a statement.

“Our authorities volition not surrender to threats from Hamas,” Ben Gvir said astatine the decision of his visit, which reportedly lasted immoderate 15 minutes and passed without contiguous incident.

“The Temple Mount is the astir important spot for the radical of Israel. We support state of question for Muslims and Christians, but Jews besides spell up to the site, and those who marque threats indispensable beryllium dealt with, with an robust fist,” helium said.

The Hamas panic radical has warned that a sojourn by Ben Gvir to the tract would beryllium a “detonator,” and vowed resistance.

MK Zvika Fogel from Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit enactment was asked Tuesday during an interrogation with the Ynet quality outlet astir the panic radical perchance reacting to the sojourn with rocket fire.

Fogel said if this were to happen, “If it’s up to me, Gaza burns.”

“We’ll commencement a argumentation of targeted killings of [Hamas] platoon commanders and above,” said Fogel, a erstwhile IDF wide and designated seat of the Knesset’s Public Security Committee.

Fogel besides said that contempt a conjugation statement with Netanyahu’s Likud to support the presumption quo astatine beatified sites including the Temple Mount, the contented would beryllium raised by Otzma Yehudit.

“I presume that successful the aboriginal we volition petition a treatment successful the authorities astir changing the presumption quo,” helium said.

On Monday, Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Almog Cohen told Kan quality that the faction’s “aspiration is, yes, God willing, for each religions to beryllium capable to commune connected the Temple Mount,” Reuters reported.

Ben Gvir has agelong been an advocator of formally altering the Temple Mount presumption quo, successful which Muslims are allowed to commune and participate with fewer restrictions, portion Jews tin sojourn lone during constricted clip slots via a azygous gross and locomotion connected a predetermined route, intimately accompanied by police. Jews are not allowed to commune astatine the site, though caller years person progressively seen constabulary let immoderate soundless prayer.

Palestinians and astir of the planetary assemblage vehemently cull immoderate changes to the existent situation, though astir Palestinians besides entity to immoderate Israeli Jewish beingness astatine the site, including of constabulary officers tasked with preserving security.

Netanyahu has sought to guarantee Israel’s allies that helium volition not let immoderate changes, and helium had a clause included successful each of his conjugation deals stipulating that the presumption quo “with respect to the beatified places” volition beryllium preserved.

Ben Gvir is caput of 1 of the 3 far-right parties successful Netanyahu’s nascent coalition.

The recently minted nationalist information minister, who has agelong been accused of being a provocateur, made respective trips to the Temple Mount arsenic an activistic and Knesset subordinate and has besides led contentious nationalist marches done the Muslim Quarter successful Jerusalem’s Old City. On respective occasions, helium acceptable up an advertisement hoc bureau successful East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, which has besides been astatine the halfway of Israeli-Palestinian tensions, kindling unrest.

His past sojourn to the Temple Mount was astir 3 months ago, up of the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah.