فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem has sparked a wave of Arab and international condemnation. This marks Ben-Gvir’s first visit since rejoining Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on March 19, after resigning in January to protest a Gaza ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Repeated Visits and Provocation
Since the formation of Netanyahu’s government in late 2022, Ben-Gvir has visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque at least eight times, each time triggering widespread international outcry. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam, built on the ruins of the Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. The site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is the holiest site in Judaism.
Ben-Gvir’s Justifications and Reactions
Regarding the reasons for the visit and its timing, a Ben-Gvir spokesperson stated, “The minister visited the site after it was reopened to non-Muslims following 13 days of restricted access for Muslims during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.”
In response, Hamas, which has been at war with Israel in Gaza for nearly 18 months, condemned the visit as a “dangerous escalation” and a “provocation.”
Violation of the Status Quo and Escalating Tensions
Under the status quo established after Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, non-Muslims are allowed to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque at specific times without praying there. However, this status quo is increasingly violated by a growing number of extremist Jews.
Ben-Gvir himself publicly violated this status quo in August 2024, while serving as the minister responsible for its enforcement.
Widespread Arab and International Condemnation
Jordan, which administers the Al-Aqsa Mosque under the status quo, condemned the visit as a “rejected provocation” and a “violation of the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.” Saudi Arabia, custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina, also strongly condemned the visit.
Egypt deemed the “extremist Israeli measures” at the Al-Aqsa Mosque a “major source of regional instability.”
The United Nations, which does not recognize Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem, condemned any attempt to change the status quo and impose unilateral changes in the eastern part of the holy city.
Internal Israeli Criticism
Moshe Gafni, a member of the Israeli Knesset from the United Torah Judaism party, criticized Ben-Gvir’s visit, stating, “This does not prove your sovereignty over the place, but rather constitutes a desecration of the holy site and provokes an unnecessary conflict in the Muslim world and beyond.”
