Israeli Minister Provokes by Praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque

Right-wing Israeli Defense Minister Ben-Gvir prayed with some 2,000 Jews on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and raised the Israeli flag. Prime Minister Netanyahu then felt compelled to publicly rebuke the minister.

Israel's far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has once again provoked people by visiting the Temple Mount. He demanded that Jewish prayer be allowed at the site and that the Israeli flag be raised.

In a video clip filmed on site and posted

Netanyahu: Deviated from the agreements

According to the video message, Ben-Gvir came to mark the Jewish day of fast and mourning, Tisha B'Av, when religious Jews mourn the destruction of the two ancient temples in Jerusalem. According to Israeli media, about 2,000 Jews came to the Temple Mount. The Jordanian Waqf, which administers the site, said that in the morning, “about 2,250 Jews prayed, danced and waved the Israeli flag.”

However, Ben-Gvir does not appear to have discussed his visit with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — since he has publicly distanced himself from the police minister: Ben-Gvir was on the Temple Mount with his demand to allow Jewish prayer at the site again. A statement from Netanyahu’s office said that the agreements surrounding their administration had “gone awry.” The government and the prime minister determine policy regarding the Temple Mount. There is no specific minister’s policy.

The agreement prevents Jews from praying.

The Temple Mount (al-Haram al-Sharif), with the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is the third holiest site in Islam. But it is also sacred to Jews because two Jewish temples once stood there. The Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem is under Muslim administration, while Israel is responsible for security.

Under an agreement with Muslim authorities, Jews are allowed to visit the site but are not allowed to pray there. However, there are always violations of this. Ben-Gvir has criticized the agreement with Muslim authorities in the past, calling it “racist” and discriminatory against Jews. Palestinians fear that Israel wants to expand its control over the holy site.

Criticism from Islamic countries and the opposition

The Palestinian Authority condemned the move. Criticism of the “irresponsible and provocative” action also came from Egypt. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry spoke of ongoing violations of the status quo at the Temple Mount.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said after Ben-Gvir’s visit that Israel’s policy on the Temple Mount had not changed. “The minister has no special policies.” Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized Ben-Gvir’s “election campaign on the Temple Mount,” which contradicts the position of the country’s security forces and puts people’s lives at risk. He spoke of a “group of irresponsible extremists” within the government.

Ben-Gvir had already posted a provocative video in July in which he can be seen visiting the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. “I came to the most important place for the Jewish people to pray for the return of the hostages to their homes, but not through a surrender agreement,” Ben-Gvir said in the recording, which shows him standing in front of the Dome of the Rock.