A visit to the Al-Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem by Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sparked anger from Palestinians on Tuesday morning. The Palestinians regard the visit of the nationalist Ben-Gvir as an “unprecedented provocation” and have previously warned that such actions could lead to an escalation of violence in Gaza.
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The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called Ben-Gvir’s visit “a dangerous escalation of the conflict”. The Palestinian militant group Hamas characterized the action as a “crime” and stated that the area will remain “Palestinian, Arab and Islamic,” according to AFP news agency. Ben-Gvir, a minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recently inaugurated far-right cabinet, said his government “will never give in” to “threats from Hamas.” The Temple Mount is located in East Jerusalem, an Israeli-annexed Palestinian territory that is not internationally recognized as part of the country.
According to Israeli media During his visit, Ben-Gvir called the Temple Mount “the most important place for the people of Israel.” On the Temple Mount (in Arabic the Haram al-Sharif) is the Al-Aksa mosque, one of the three holiest places in Islam. Jews and non-Muslims are allowed to visit the area, but they are forbidden to pray there. Ben-Gvir stated that he wants to change that and wants to make the area accessible “for everyone”. Until two thousand years ago, the main Jewish temple stood on the Temple Mount.
Tensions
Tensions between the Palestinians and Israel reached a boiling point a year and a half ago after Hamas demanded that the police withdraw from the area. When Israel refused, Hamas fired hundreds of rockets at Jerusalem and other Israeli cities. Israel responded with a heavy hand, after which both sides fought an armed conflict for eleven days, resulting in many deaths.
In 2000, then-Israeli opposition leader and prime ministerial candidate Ariel Sharon sparked a Palestinian uprising (Intifada) by visiting the Temple Mount. It was the Second Intifada; the conflict eventually lasted five years.