‘Provocative’, ‘unacceptable’: Saudi Arabia, Jordan slam Ben-Gvir for praying at Al Aqsa mosque

After the Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the al-Aqsa mosque on Sunday (August 3) in Jerusalem, Israel has received severe backlash from various countries for violating international law. Ben Gvir, who is the minister of national security, travelled to the holy site and prayed there with a reported group of 1,250 people. Police were pictured alongside Ben-Gvir. This was problematic because, as per a delicate decades-old “status quo” arrangement with Muslim authorities, Jews can only visit the al-Aqsa compound, which is administered by a Jordanian religious foundation, but can not pray there.

After this, Saudi Arabia condemned the act of Ben-Gvir and called it a violation of international law. “The foreign ministry expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation in the strongest terms of the repeated provocative practices by officials of the Israeli occupation authorities against al-Aqsa mosque,” the statement of the Saudi government on the social media platform X read.

“The Kingdom affirms that such practices fuel the conflict in the region," it added.

'Israel’s policy has not changed'?

After this, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying that “Israel’s policy of maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will not change”.

"The comments follow outrage that far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led a large group to the Al-Aqsa mosque, also revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, to pray, in defiance of a long-standing convention. Jordan, which acts as the site’s custodian, condemned the minister’s latest visit there as “an unacceptable provocation," the statement added.

'Unacceptable provocation'

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry also slammed Ben-Gvir's visit and called it a “blatant violation of international law” and an “unacceptable provocation and escalation.” In a statement posted on X, the ministry says Ben Gvir’s presence is a “blatant violation of the historic and legal status quo” of the holy site.