minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir said the government was “slowly and quietly” making changes on the Temple Mount during a Jerusalem Day celebration meal hosted by the Temple Mount Administration on Sunday.
“We are privileged to live in a generation like this. We are privileged to live in a position in which ministers, speakers of the Knesset and MKs come.” [at the Temple Mount], Who thought it would happen so soon? And it is happening. It is true that there are still more processes [to go through], “There are changes that we are making as they say slowly, slowly, quietly, quietly,” Ben-Gvir said in a video of the event published by the Temple Mount administration.
It is not clear which changes Ben-Gvir was referring to.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that Israel is working to maintain the status quo on the Temple Mount.
In April Netanyahu said, “Israel is committed to freedom of worship, free access for all religions and maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount and will not allow violent extremists to change it.”
Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount are informed upon entry that prayers and religious items such as prayer books or prayer shawls prohibited on the premisesHowever, since late 2019, Jewish visitors have been able to pray quietly in parts of the site, relatively undisturbed. Since the beginning of last year, there have been occasions in which Jewish visitors have been successful pray and sing out loud and even managed to wave Israeli flags, although many of these people were later arrested.
While the High Court of Justice has ruled in the past that Jews have a legal right to pray on the Temple Mount, police have cited security concerns for imposing a complete ban on Jewish prayer.
Ben-Gvir visits Temple Mount, sparks international outcry
On Sunday, Ben-Gvir visited the Temple Mount, saying, “I am happy to climb the Temple Mount, which is the most important place for the people of Israel. It must be said that the police are doing a wonderful job here and a Proving once again who is in charge in Jerusalem. Not all Hamas threats will be [change anything]We possess Jerusalem and all the land of Israel.”
The visit drew condemnation from Palestinians and countries in the region and around the world.
Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudineh called the visit “a major attack on Al-Aqsa”, warning that it would have “serious consequences”, according to the Palestinian WAFA news agency.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry called the visit a “dangerous and unacceptable escalation” and “an open and unacceptable violation of international law, and a violation of the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its sanctity.”
US State Department said it was “concerned” with what it called a “provocative journey” by Ben-Gvir and the “accompanying incendiary rhetoric”.
“This holy place must not be used for political purposes, and we call on all parties to respect its sanctity. More broadly, we have long supported the historic status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites. confirm the position and underline Jordan’s special role as protector.” of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.