Explained: Why has Israeli minister Ben-Gvir’s visit to Al-Aqsa mosque sparked outrage?

Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, on Tuesday, visited the disputed holy site in Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa mosque, triggering widespread condemnation from several countries across the Arab world with the move being seen as a “deliberate provocation” by the Palestinians.

This comes after many had expressed concerns over the newly elected government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing allies, particularly over their relations with Palestine moving forward.

Notably, Ben-Gvir has visited the compound even before as a member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and has sought to change the long-standing status quo of the sacred site. Prior to his visit on Tuesday, the Palestinian group, Hamas senior officials, had warned the incumbent national security minister of Israel that the move would cross a “red line”.

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Why is Al-Aqsa important?

The holy site is of religious significance to Jews, Muslims, as well as Christians. However, situated in the Israeli-controlled East Jerusalem it is administered by Jordan’s Waqf Islamic affairs council, with Israel’s security forces operating and controlling access to the compound, it has a complicated history, to say the least.

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The 35-acre Al-Aqsa mosque compound is known as Temple Mount to Jews and Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, to Muslims. It is a vast plaza overlooking Jerusalem's Old City which incorporates the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

In the context of religious significance, Temple Mount is deemed Judaism’s most sacred site and vestige of two ancient temples of the faith. Whereas, in Islam, it is the third-holiest after Mecca and Medina because for Muslims the site is associated with Prophet Muhammad's ascent to heaven. Meanwhile, it is also considered a Palestinian national symbol and is also ofreligious significance.

What does the Al-Aqsa status quo say?

The compound that lies in the Old City of Jerusalem has been designated as a World Heritage site by the United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO and has been one of the most disputed lands in the region more so with Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem.

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Therefore, given its importance to the three Abrahamic religions the UN, in 1947, partitioned the plan which gave Israel 55 per cent of the land and the remaining 45 per cent to Palestine. The management system in place at the site currently, was implemented in 1967 following the six-day war when Israel captured Jerusalem's Old City includingthe Temple Mount/Haram al-Shariffrom Jordan.

Subsequently, Jordan and Israel agreed that the Waqf or the Islamic trust would have control over the internal matters of Al-Aqsa while Israel would handle the external security. Additionally, the long-standing status quo of the site only permits Muslims to pray there while non-Muslims can only visit the site at specific times.

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However, in recent years, right-wing Jewish groups “Temple Mount activists”, as they are reportedly called,have sought to change this status quo which has put Palestinians on edge prompting several clashes over the years. The latest one took place in April, last year when more than 150 Palestinians were wounded after Palestinians allegedly threw rocks and Israeli police fired stun grenades when thousands had gathered for Ramadan prayers.

Ben-Gvir’s stance on Al-Aqsa

As mentioned earlier, the incumbent Israeli national security minister, who took office on December 29 after Netanyahu came into power, has long sought to change the status quo of the holy site. Ben-Gvir is allegedly also known to be an advocate for Jewish prayer to take place in the compound.

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According to the current agreement while Jews are allowed to visit the compound where the temples once stood they are not allowed to pray. However, while Ben-Gvir has visited the Al-Aqsa several times since he first took office in April 2021, they can no longer be seen as an ordinary Israeli citizen entering the compound since he is now a top minister and a government official, making the incident significant.

Furthermore, his visit also comes amid a recent escalation between Israel and Palestine along the West Bank as the past year has witnessed an uptick in violence. This also includes the 11-day conflict which broke out between Hamas and Israel in 2021 which ended after an Egypt-mediated ceasefire.

In an apparent response to the Hamas’ “red line” comment, during his visit, Ben-Gvir said, “The Israeli government won’t surrender to a murderous organization, to a vile terrorist organization,” reported Associated Press.Additionally, has also called the ban on Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount “racist discrimination,” and went on to describe the holy site as “the most important place for the Jewish people.”

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He also took to Twitter to post an image of himself at the holy siteand wrote, “The Israeli government of which I am a member will not surrender to a vile murdering organization. The Temple Mount is open to everyone and if Hamas thinks that if it threatens me it will deter me, let them understand that times have changed. There is a government in Jerusalem!”

Notably, a group of supposedly nationalist Jews have attempted to pray in the compound in the past despite it being forbidden by the Israeli authorities. This includes an Israeli court upholding the ban which was challenged last year. Additionally, Ben-Gvir is also known for his anti-Arab rhetoric and provocative stunts.In fact, he was also convicted in 2007 of racist incitementagainst Arabs and terrorism for backing a group which even Israel considers to be a terroristorganisation.

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Prior to his visit, former Israeli PM and Leader of the opposition Yair Lapid, also warned that Ben-Gvir’s intended visit would “lead to violence that will endanger human lives and cost human lives.” Meanwhile, following his minister’s visit, the newly elected PM Netanyahu’s office released a statement saying that he “is strictly committed to maintain the status quo, without any changes”.

However, the damage was done. “Events of 1967 are key to understand what happens here today”, said Daniel Seidemann, founder of Israeli NGO Terrestrial Jerusalem to DW, he went on to talk about how in recent decades Al-Aqsa has become a place which can eventually lead to a conflict, in the context of the gradually deteriorating status quo.

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He added, “And the international community cannot allow to turn a blind eye to this. We are watching a potential train wreck in slow motion.” Since then the situation has been unfolding like Seidemann described, as we continue to see widespread international condemnation of the visit as well as the retaliation and warnings.

Hamas’s retaliation on the visit

On Tuesday, following the visit, Israel Defense Forces confirmed that a rocket launched from Gaza fell within the Strip. However, no sirens were activated in Israel, said a report by the Jerusalem Post. Additionally, in a sharply worded comment, Hamas spokesman, Hazem Qassem, called the visit a continuation of, “Zionist’s occupation aggression on our sacred places and war on our Arab identity…Our Palestinian people will continue defending their holy places and Al-Aqsa mosque”.

How has the world reacted?

As expected, there has been widespread criticism and even warnings from different countries so far. This also includes a warning from the leader of Lebanon's powerful armed Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, “Attacking Al-Aqsa Mosque will not only blow up the situation inside Palestine but may blow up the entire region,” reported AFP.

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Additionally, Jordan’s foreign ministry also issued a statement saying that they condemn the visit “in severest of terms the storming of the Aqsa mosque and violating its sanctity.” Other countries that joined Palestine to criticise the move include Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, UAE, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, and Turkey. Notably, the United Arab Emirates and China, on Wednesday, also called for a UN Security Council meeting over the incident.

Notably, on Tuesday, the Israeli media reported that PM Netanyahu’s planned visit to the UAE next week has been postponed until February. The Israeli PM was slated to visit Abu Dhabi to meet the Crown Prince and ruler of the emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyanm and markhis first public visit to the Gulf state. Meanwhile,media reports citing Netanyahu's aides dismissed the connection between the two incidents and insteadsaid that the delay isdue toa logistical issue.

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According to a report by Reuters, the UN council is expected to convene on Thursday. Following the visit, the Palestinian foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the extremist minister Ben-Gvir and views it as an unprecedented provocation and a dangerous escalation of the conflict”.

Meanwhile, western countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and France have also condemned the visit. After the visit, the USAmbassador to Israel, Thomas Nides, "has been very clear in conversations with the Israeli government on the issue of preserving the status quo," said the embassy in a statement.

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When asked about the incident, during a press briefing White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “the United States stands firmly… for the preservation of the status quo with respect to holy sites in Jerusalem.” She added, “Any unilateral action that jeopardises the status quo is unacceptable.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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