Ben-Gvir's Al-Aqsa visit unleashes a wave of anger in the Arab world

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https://www.wionews.com/world/ben-gvirs ... rld-549597


Ben-Gvir's Al-Aqsa visit unleashes a wave of anger in the Arab world
By: Anamica SinghUpdated: Jan 05, 2023

Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit to Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem earlier this week has sparked a wave of outrage among Arab nations who have condemned the trip in the strongest words. Photographs from the scene showed Israel's far-right national security minister Ben-Gvir walking around the periphery of the mosque compound.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and even the US condemned the trip saying it could harm the status quo.

Jordan, the custodian of al-Aqsa and other Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, slammed the visit saying it violated international law and "the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem". It also summoned the Israeli ambassador over the matter.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh asked Palestinians to "confront the raids into Al-Aqsa mosque" and dubbed the visit as an attempt to convert a major mosque "into a Jewish temple".

Meanwhile, UN Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour called the visit an attack.

"The attack is not only against our holy sites on Al-Aqsa mosque and Haram al-Sharif. You've seen by now that there are crosses over graveyards being trampled upon and attacked by extreme settlers. This is a toxic environment," he told reporters at the United Nations on Wednesday.

The United Nations Security Council is meeting on Thursday to discuss the recent developments at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

A Hamas spokesman, a Palestinian Islamist group in control of Gaza, said, "A continuation of this behaviour will bring all parties closer to a big clash."

Saudi Arabia also criticised the visit, calling it a "provocative action".

A statement by the Qatari foreign ministry said that Doha “condemns in the strongest terms” Ben-Gvir’s “storming of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli occupation authorities”.

“It considers this act a flagrant violation of international law and the Hashemite Custodianship over the holy sites in occupied Jerusalem,” the statement added.

Hitting out at the visit, Turkey said, “We call on Israel to act responsibly to prevent such provocations that will violate the status and sanctity of holy places in Jerusalem and escalate tension in the region."

Tom Nides, the US ambassador to Israel, said Washington "opposes any steps that could harm the status quo in the holy sites”.

A White House National Security Council spokesperson said, "The United States stands firmly for preservation of the status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem. Any unilateral action that jeopardises the status quo is unacceptable."

The Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.