JERUSALEM: A far-right Israeli minister prayed with thousands of Jews at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in annexed east Jerusalem Tuesday, defying a ban on Jewish prayer at the flashpoint site and drawing global condemnation.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has often ignored the Israeli government’s longstanding ban, vowed to “defeat Hamas” in Gaza in a video he filmed during his visit.
The compound is Islam’s third holiest site and a symbol of Palestinian national identity, but it is also Judaism’s holiest place, revered as the site of the ancient temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
While Jews and other non-Muslims are allowed to visit the mosque compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem during specified hours, they are not permitted to pray or display religious symbols.
The visit comes at a tense time during the 10-month Israel-Hamas war, with faltering efforts for a ceasefire and Israel braced for threatened attacks from Iran and its proxies.
Ben Gvir’s latest visit drew sharp condemnation from both Muslim countries as well as Western powers, including the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.
“Not only is it unacceptable, it detracts from what we think is a vital time, as we are working to get this ceasefire deal across the finish line,” US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
In recent years, the restrictions have been increasingly flouted by hardline religious nationalists like Ben Gvir, prompting sometimes violent reactions from Palestinians.
Israel far-right minister visits Al-Aqsa compound
On Tuesday morning, he and some 2,250 other Israelis walked through the compound in groups, singing Jewish hymns, under the protection of Israeli police, an official from the Waqf, the Jordanian body that is custodian of the site, told AFP.
Israeli police also “imposed restrictions” on Muslim worshippers trying to enter the mosque, he said, adding that more than 700 Jews also prayed there in the afternoon.
“Minister Ben Gvir, instead of maintaining the status quo at the mosque, is supervising the Judaisation operation and trying to change the situation inside Al-Aqsa Mosque,” the official said on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak on the matter.
American Dollar Exchange Rate