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Israel’s extreme-right firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound Tuesday for the first time since becoming national security minister, his spokesman said, enraging Palestinians who see the move as a provocation.
“Our government will not surrender to the threats of Hamas,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement published by his spokesman, after the Palestinian militant group warned such a move was a “red line”.
The Palestinian foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns the storming of Al-Aqsa mosque by the extremist minister Ben-Gvir and views it as an unprecedented provocation and a dangerous escalation of the conflict”.
The Ynet news website carried pictures of Ben-Gvir touring the site under heavy security.
Israel’s opposition leader and former prime minister Yair Lapid had warned that such a visit by Ben-Gvir would spark violence.
The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is the third-holiest place in Islam and the most sacred site to Jews, who refer it as the Temple Mount.
“The Temple Mount is the most important place for the people of Israel, and we maintain the freedom of movement for Muslims and Christians, but Jews will also go up to the mount, and those who make threats must be dealt with – with an iron hand,” Ben-Gvir said.
Only Muslim worship is allowed at the site, and there was no indication that Ben-Gvir had prayed during his visit.
Ben-Gvir was sworn in last week as part of a new government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that includes far-right and religious parties.
An official in Netanyahu’s office said on…
Source : france24
