There was a wave of international condemnation on Tuesday after National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit in the morning to the flashpoint Temple Mount site, which houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as police reportedly raised their alertness level in Jerusalem.
Jordan, which views itself as a custodian of the Temple Mount — a status Israel does not recognize, though it acknowledged the kingdom’s “special role” at the site in the countries’ 1994 peace treaty — said it strongly condemned the far-right minister’s visit.
“Jordan condemns in the severest of terms the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and violation of its sanctity,” the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to the Reuters news agency.
Ben Gvir did not enter the mosque. He made a 15-minute visit to the Temple Mount compound around 7 a.m. — during the time Jews are allowed to enter the site — which he has done before on numerous occasions, though Tuesday’s trip was his first as a minister, causing it to carry more weight.
A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Israel responded to the minister’s visit, saying the status quo must be maintained at holy sites, and that Jerusalem understood Washington’s position on the matter.
“Ambassador Nides has been very clear in conversations with the Israeli government on the issue of preserving the status quo in Jerusalem’s holy sites. Actions that prevent that are unacceptable,” the spokesperson said.
The United Arab Emirates condemned Ben Gvir and denounced his “storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard.” The Gulf nation also called for an end to “serious and provocative violations.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been slated to soon visit the UAE on his first official trip, but it was postponed on Tuesday due to “logistical reasons.” Officials denied there was any connection between the trip’s cancellation and Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount, the Ynet news site reported.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry also joined the wave of condemnation over “the provocative action by an Israeli official who stormed” the flashpoint site. Netanyahu has frequently expressed hope for progress in normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which has conditioned the establishment of diplomatic ties between the countries on the creation of a Palestinian state.
The French embassy in Israel confirmed its “absolute commitment” to the preservation of the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem.
“Any gesture aimed at casting doubt on it carries a risk of escalation and must be avoided,” the French statement read.
The United Kingdom issued a similar statement, with Israel envoy Ambassador Neil Wigan tweeting: “The UK remains committed to supporting the historic status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem. It is important that all actors avoid actions at those sites that inflame tensions.”
However, an official in the Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu was committed to “strictly protecting the status quo on the Temple Mount without any change.”
The official said that Israel “will not surrender to Hamas directives,” and noted that as part of the status quo, ministers have visited the Temple Mount in the past, including former public security minister Gilad Erdan.
“The claim that there is a change in the status quo is baseless,” the official concluded.
Ben Gvir’s visit came hours after reports said that he had agreed to postpone…
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