Politics Israel's police minister outrages again with Temple Mount visit
Israel's far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has once again sparked anger with a visit to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
18.07.2024, 13:13
SDA
He prayed and worked hard for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have the strength not to give in in the Gaza war, to increase military pressure and to win, he said in a video filmed on site and published on the X platform. He had come to the Temple Mount to pray for the hostages and their return "without a reckless deal, without surrender", the recording continued.
Ben Gvir has repeatedly threatened to leave the coalition if Netanyahu agrees to an agreement with Hamas to release the hostages, which would also end the war. Netanyahu's political survival depends on his ultra-religious and far-right coalition partners, who refuse to compromise in the negotiations.
Critics accuse the head of government of sabotaging the indirect talks with the Islamists for this reason. Netanyahu recently said that Israel would use even more military pressure to extract further concessions from Hamas. Hamas is said to have recently shown flexibility in some of its positions.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemned his visit to the holy site. Ben-Gvir had already visited the Temple Mount several times since he took office. This had always caused international criticism.
The Temple Mount (Al-Haram al-Sharif) with the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam. However, it is also sacred to Jews because two Jewish temples used to stand there. The shrines on the Temple Mount plateau are administered by a Jordanian foundation, while Israel is responsible for security. According to an agreement with the Muslim authorities, Jews are allowed to visit the site but are not allowed to pray there. However, there are repeated violations of this.
