Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the Temple Mount early today in what is being condemned as a provocation against the Palestinians, and against the Muslim world generally. The site in the Old City of Jerusalem is the third holiest site for Muslims (al-Aqsa Mosque), but as it is also the holiest site in Judaism and also a holy site for Christians, the British have used it for decades as a handy fuse when conflict is wished to derail opportunities for peace.
“Our government will not surrender to threats from Hamas,” Gvir, leader of the far right Israeli Otzma Yehudit party, said at the conclusion of his visit, which reportedly lasted some 15 minutes and passed without immediate incident, reported the Times of Israel. “The Temple Mount is the most important place for the people of Israel. We maintain freedom of movement for Muslims and Christians, but Jews also go up to the site, and those who make threats must be dealt with with an iron fist,” he said. Ben Gvir had reportedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would not visit the Temple Mount so soon after joining the government.
The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the visit, calling it an “unprecedented provocation.” The PA said in a statement that “Netanyahu bears responsibility for this attack on Al-Aqsa.”
Also condemning the visit were Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. “Jordan condemns in the severest of terms the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and violation of its sanctity,” the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, reported Reuters. Israel’s ambassador to Jordan, Eitan Surkis, who was called into Jordan’s Foreign Ministry offices for a dressing-down, reportedly told the Jordanians that Israel remained committed to the status quo, that there had not been any violations of the agreement, and that Israeli ministers have visited the site in the past.
The UAE denounced Ben Gvir’s “storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard.” The Gulf nation also called for an end to “serious and provocative violations.” Netanyahu had been slated to soon visit the UAE on his first official trip, but it was postponed on Tuesday due to “logistical reasons.” Officials denied there was any connection between the trip’s cancellation and Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount. The Saudi Foreign Ministry also joined the wave of condemnation over “the provocative action by an Israeli official who stormed” the flashpoint site.
The visit was also denounced by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and Bahrain, while the US, UK, and France all issued statements warning against any actions that threaten the status quo around the Temple Mount/Al Aqsa Mosque.
BBC’s coverage of the Gvir visit recalled with satisfaction: “Tensions between Israel and Palestinians which escalated into violence at the site in May 2021 saw Hamas fire rockets towards Jerusalem, triggering an 11-day conflict with Israel. A visit to the site in 2000 by Israeli right-winger Ariel Sharon, then opposition leader, infuriated Palestinians. Violence which followed escalated into the second Palestinian uprising, or intifada.”
