Israeli PM Netanyahu postpones UAE trip hours after row over Ben-Gvir's visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque : Report
Netanyahu was slated to meet the Crown Prince newxt week
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won't visit UAE next week, state media reported on Tuesday, hours after the controversy surrounding National Security Minister ItamarBen-Gvir's visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu was slated to visit Abu Dhabi to meet the Crown Prince and ruler of the emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyanm, marking his first public visit to the Gulf state.
He had many unofficial visits to the Arab country before the 2020 Abraham Accords, but never an official visit.
Ynet news quoting close aides of Netanyahu reported that there was no connection between the incidents, saying that the visit was postponed due to logistical reasons.
Ben-Gvir's visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque drew wide condemnation from countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey, while western nations like US, France, and the European Union, appealed for calm and protect the sensitive status quo. The Gaza-based Hamas terrorist group, on the other hand, carried out threats.
WION Dispatch: Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir visits volatile Jerusalem holy site
The UAE government "underscored the need to respect the custodial role of Jordan over the holy sites and endowments in accordance with international law and the historical situation at hand, and not to compromise the authority of the Jerusalem Endowment Administration and Al-Aqsa Mosque" and called on Israel "to assume responsibility for reducing escalation and instability in the region."
Al-Aqsa Mosque is equally revered by Muslims and Jews. While it is the third-holiest place in Islam, Jews consider it be to their sacred site and refer to it as the Temple Mount.
There is a long-standing tacit agreement that non-Muslims can visit the site at specific times but are not allowed to pray there.
However, a growing number of Jews, most of them Israeli nationalists, recently have covertly prayed at the compound, which has been decried by Palestinians.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE: