Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir climbed the Temple Mount (the Jewish Temple Mount) on the occasion of the fast of Tisha B’Av (which commemorates the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem), with hundreds of his followers who prostrated on the ground, in defiance of police instructions and the status quo at the site. The Palestinian Authority spokesman previously condemned Ben-Gvir’s presence on the Temple Mount, calling it a serious provocation and calling for immediate US intervention. The minister stressed that his political line is that Jews may pray on the holy site, whereas current guidelines do not allow this.
For the United States, “it is unacceptable for Ben-Gvir to climb the Temple Mount.” “This is a distraction from what we believe is a critical moment to reach an agreement,” State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said in a briefing on the far-right Israeli national security minister’s gesture, stressing that it “distracts from what we believe is a critical moment to reach an agreement.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office rejects Minister Ben-Gvir’s claims that Jews can pray at the holy site, which is prohibited by the status quo. “The policy on the Temple Mount is under the direct control of the government and the prime minister,” Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said, stressing that this morning’s event was a departure from the status quo and that Israel’s policy remains unchanged. “There is no specific policy on the Temple Mount for a specific minister, neither for the minister of national security nor for any other minister. This has been the case under all Israeli governments,” the statement continued.
Antony Blinken asked Israel to prevent far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from carrying out “provocative actions” such as going to the Temple Mount“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office made clear that Minister Ben-Gvir’s actions were inconsistent with Israeli policy,” the US secretary of state said in a statement. “We will urge the Israeli government to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
“Provocation without cause,” said a UN spokesman. The ascent of the far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the Temple Mount was determined.
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