Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir allows Jewish settlers to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
Significant controversy emerged in the Knesset relating to Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has said he will allow Jewish prayer on the compound containing the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This announcement was made during a hostile meeting dubbed ‘Israel’s Return to the Temple Mount,’ the Jewish religious name for the Al-Aqsa site. In another act that was seen as provocative, Ben-Gvir said that he had personally prayed at the site and thus broke protocol and agreements that have been made over the years.
“What needs to be said quietly will be done. I was on the Temple Mount. I prayed on the Temple Mount,” he was quoted as saying by Haaretz. They say to me ‘political leadership’ is against it. I am the political leadership,” Netanyahu replied, referring to the regulation for Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, although the site should be open 24/7.
Nobody could remain indifferent to these comments, and, of course, there were rather harsh reactions from Israeli politicians and Palestinian citizens in the Knesset. Likud MK Moshe Gafni criticized the move, saying it was a severe violation of Jewish law and appealing to Netanyahu not to change the situation.
Currently, there is controversy within the Jewish religion concerning prayer in the compound; Israel has officially considered and prohibited Jewish prayer while allowing visits. This ban was recently re-iterated by the commander of the Israeli police’s Holy Sites Unit as settlers escalated their provocative conduct at Al-Aqsa mosque.
Israel’s opposition MP and former war minister in the cabinet, Benny Gantz, demanded Ben-Gvir be ‘deprived of all his powers concerning sensitive security matters,’ Moshe Arbel called it blasphemous. In contrast, a member of the opposition from the Labor party, Gilad Kariv, called Ben-Gvir a ‘pyromaniac who wishes to incite the Third Intifada’: The statement earned support from other leftist MP Ofer Arab MK Ahmad Tibi, referring to Ben-Gvir, said that the “racist fascist wants to start a religious war.
It vaguely recalls Ariel Sharon’s visit to this place in 2000, which was considered a provocation to the Second Intifada. However, the scandal-slammed prime minister’s office said nothing would change at the site.
In addition to uttering about Al-Aqsa, Ben-Gvir has suffered criticism for attempting to raise the position of his party inside the Israeli cabinet to control the administration of Israel’s war on Gaza. Gallant Mulls Over Ben-Gvir’s Call for War Cabinet, Says MK Seeking to Set Middle East on Fire, Will Not Allow Him to Join The alleged arrest was an attempt to present an emergency within the state since protesters attacked the Israeli police, Civil Guard, Gallant said. Gallant said that such a step enables Ben-Gvir to push through his strategy.
Ben-Gvir then threatened Gallant, along with Ayre Deri, the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party leader, that they were “left-wing” traitors who were seeking a premature and unsafe peace deal with the enemy.
