A far-right Israeli minister has sparked outrage by saying he would construct a Jewish synagogue on the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem if he might, reinforcing the narrative that the Muslim holy website and Palestinian nationwide image are below menace.
Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has repeatedly ignored the Israeli authorities’s long-standing ban on Jews praying on the website, instructed Military Radio on Monday that if potential, he would construct a synagogue on the Al-Aqsa compound, recognized to Jews because the Temple Mount.
The Al-Aqsa advanced is the third holiest website in Islam and a logo of Palestinian identification. Jews additionally contemplate it the location of the First and Second Temples, the latter destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
“If I might do no matter I wished, I’d put an Israeli flag there,” Ben-Gvir stated within the interview.
Requested a number of instances by a journalist whether or not he would construct a synagogue there if it had been as much as him, Ben-Gvir lastly replied: “Sure.”
Below the established order maintained for many years by Israeli authorities, Jews and different non-Muslims are allowed to go to the compound in occupied East Jerusalem throughout particular hours however aren’t permitted to wish there or show spiritual symbols.
Ben-Gvir has additionally been criticized by some Orthodox Jews, who contemplate the location too holy for Jews to enter. In line with main rabbis, it’s forbidden for any Jew to enter any a part of Al-Aqsa due to its holiness.
Lately, restrictions imposed on the advanced have been more and more violated by hardline spiritual nationalists like Ben-Gvir, typically resulting in clashes with Palestinians.
The marketing campaign to construct a “Third Temple” at Al-Aqsa, as soon as thought of a fringe motion, is rising in Israel, with many Palestinians seeing parallels to what occurred in Hebron, the place the Ibrahimi Mosque, often known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs, was divided.
Since taking workplace in December 2022, Ben-Gvir, as nationwide safety minister, has visited the holy website at the least six instances, prompting harsh condemnation.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is run by Jordan, however entry to the location is managed by Israeli safety forces.
Ben-Gvir instructed Military Radio that Jews must be allowed to wish on the premises.
“Arabs can pray wherever they need, so Jews ought to be capable to pray wherever they need,” he stated, claiming that “present coverage permits Jews to wish on this place.”
A number of ultra-Orthodox Jewish politicians have beforehand denounced Ben-Gvir’s makes an attempt to encourage Jewish prayer at Al-Aqsa.
One in every of them, Inside Minister Moshe Arbel, beforehand known as Ben-Gvir’s feedback on the problem “blasphemy,” including that “the ban on Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount is the place of all the nice males of Israel for generations.”
‘Harmful’
Jordan responded to Ben-Gvir’s newest feedback.
“Al-Aqsa and the holy websites are a pure place of worship for Muslims,” Jordanian International Ministry spokesman Sufian Qudah stated in an announcement.
“Jordan will take all vital measures to cease assaults on holy websites” and “is making ready the required authorized recordsdata to take motion in worldwide courts in opposition to assaults on holy websites,” Qudah stated.
A number of Israeli officers additionally condemned Ben-Gvir, whereas an announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace stated there was “no change” within the present coverage.
“Questioning the established order on the Temple Mount is a harmful, pointless and irresponsible act,” Protection Minister Yoav Gallant stated on X.
“Ben-Gvir’s actions endanger the nationwide safety of the State of Israel.”
Israeli opposition chief Yair Lapid instructed X that Ben-Gvir’s repeated feedback present that “Netanyahu has misplaced management of his authorities.”
Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh warned that “Al-Aqsa and the holy websites are a pink line that we are going to not permit to be touched in any respect.”
Hamas, with which Israel is engaged in a bitter conflict within the Gaza Strip, known as the minister’s feedback “harmful” and known as on Arab and Islamic nations “to take duty for shielding holy websites.”
Egypt’s International Ministry has known as on Israel to fulfil its obligations as an occupying energy and cease provocative statements geared toward elevating tensions, Egyptian media outlet Ahram On-line reported.
“These statements hinder efforts to attain a truce and ceasefire within the Gaza Strip and pose a critical menace to the way forward for the ultimate settlement of the Palestinian query, which relies on the two-state answer and the institution of an unbiased Palestinian state alongside the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the assertion stated.
Monday’s feedback got here lower than two weeks after Ben-Gvir sparked outrage — together with from influential Israeli rabbis — by visiting the compound with a whole bunch of supporters, lots of whom seemed to be brazenly praying in defiance of the foundations of the established order.
