Condemnation of Israeli minister leading forbidden prayer at al-Aqsa Mosque

The Israeli government has banned Jewish prayer in the area around the mosque in Jerusalem. But Ben-Gvir, who belongs to the right-wing nationalist party Jødisk Makt, has often defied the ban.

He vowed during the visit to fight Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Along with about 2,250 other Israelis, Ben-Gvir walked through the holy area of ​​the mosque singing Jewish hymns under the protection of Israeli police, said an official from the Waqf, the Jordanian body that manages Islamic treasures.

The area near the al-Aqsa Mosque is called Haram al-Sharif by Muslims and the Temple Mount by Jews. For both religions, the hill in the center of Jerusalem’s Old City is considered sacred.

Jewish Day of Mourning

Israeli police also imposed restrictions on Muslim believers who wanted to enter the mosque, claims the Waqf spokesperson.

Photos published on social media show Ben-Gvir inside the area of ​​the al-Aqsa mosque, where several Israelis are lying on the ground performing Talmudic rituals.

Tuesday’s entry into the area was to mark the Jewish day of mourning Tisha Be’Av, which commemorates the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem as well as several other disasters in Jewish history.

Illegal marking

The mosque is located in East Jerusalem, which is annexed by Israel. It is the third holiest place in Islam. Although Jews and other non-Muslims are allowed to visit the area of ​​the mosque during certain times, they are not allowed to pray or display religious symbols there.

However, these rules have increasingly been disregarded by religious nationalists such as Ben-Gvir, which in some cases has led to violent reactions from Palestinians.

Massive condemnation

The United States came out on Tuesday with strong criticism of Itamar Ben-Gvir’s action, which they believe is damaging the work for a peace agreement for the Gaza Strip.

– The United States stands strongly behind the preservation of the historical status quo for the holy places in Jerusalem, says spokesperson Vedant Patel in the US Department of State.

He believes that any action that endangers this is unacceptable.

– Not only is it unacceptable. It diverts attention from what we believe is an important time, as we work to get the ceasefire agreement across the finish line, the spokesperson continues.

There is also condemnation from the EU, UN and France.