Israel’s new Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, caused a stir Tuesday when he entered the Temple Mount compound in East Jerusalem.
The site, which holds great religious meaning to both Muslims and Jews, is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the second oldest in Islam. Ben-Gvir said the visit was a message for Hamas, who wouldn’t be able to “threaten” him.
‘There is no doubt that this is a very volatile situation’
Political Correspondent Batya Levinthal has the latest from #Jerusalem after PM #Netanyahu asked National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to postpone his planned visit to the Temple Mount #i24NEWSDesk | @benitalevin pic.twitter.com/i12v3J4Yk0
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) January 2, 2023
“Our government will not surrender to the threats of Hamas,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera. “[The Temple Mount] is open to all and if Hamas thinks that if it threatens me it will deter me, they should understand that times have changed.”
Hamas had said Ben-Gvir’s move constituted a “red line,” Al Jazeera reported.
While non-Muslims are permitted to visit the Temple Mount at certain times, only Muslims are allowed to pray there under the current status quo. Rules governing the site have long been a flashpoint in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and Palestinians have expressed concern that Israel’s new right-wing government may seek to change the status quo.
The Foreign Ministry of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) issued a statement, saying it “strongly condemns the storming of Al-Aqsa mosque by the extremist minister Ben-Gvir and views it as unprecedented provocation and a dangerous escalation of the conflict.”
Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also condemned the visit. (RELATED: ‘Deliberate Killing’: News Network Sues Israeli Military Over Journalist’s Slaying)
Ben-Gvir was sworn in as Israel’s Minister of National Security on Dec. 29. His appointment was contentious due to his past activity as a part of religious Zionist and Jewish supremacist movements. In the new role, he has sweeping powers over Israel’s police force, including overseeing Israel’s border guards in the West Bank.