Netanyahu distances himself from Ben Gvir Temple Mount prayer
Israel's Minister for National Security prayed on the Temple Mount on Sunday, visiting the site to mark the fast commemorating the Jewish temples destroyed there
Israel’s Minister for National Security has taken the unprecedented step of leading prayers on the Temple Mount – the first time a member of the Israeli government has done so – leading to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly distancing himself from the actions of his coalition partner.
Far right Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was videoed leading prayers at the summit of the Temple Mount, the holiest place in Judaism. The Minister, who was prevented from serving in the IDF due to his far-right beliefs and sentiments, has repeatedly sought to challenge the long-standing agreement between Israel and Jordan as to how the Temple Mount operates.
The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism, where the first and second temples were sited. It is also a holy site in Islam, containing the Al Aqsa mosque, as well as the Dome of the Rock. Israel took control of the site during the Six Day War when Jerusalem was captured from the Jordanians. However, under an unwritten agreement established between Israel and Jordan at the end of the Six Day War, the Jordanian-controlled Islamic waqf administers the site, while Jews are permitted to enter but not to worship. In the past, Jewish visitors to the site who have attempted to pray have been arrested by the Israeli police.
Ben Gvir visited the site on Sunday, marking Tisha B’av, the fast commemorating the destruction of the first and second temples on the Temple Mount. While there, he led a group in the recitation of the Amidah prayer. Netanyahu subsequently issued a statement saying: “Israel’s policy of maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will not change.”
The Jordanian government described Ben-Gvir’s actions as “an unacceptable provocation”. Hamas called it “a deepening of the ongoing aggressions against our Palestinian people”, while a spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority said the visit “crossed all red lines”.
Ben Gvir also published a video of himself speaking on the Temple Mount, saying:
“The horrific videos from Hamas come against the backdrop of one thing – their attempt to exert pressure on the State of Israel. And I say, precisely from here, from the Temple Mount, in the place where we have proven that sovereignty and governance are possible – precisely from here, a message must be sent: to ensure that we conquer all of the Gaza Strip, declare sovereignty over the entire Gaza Strip, take down every Hamas member, and encourage voluntary migration. Only in this way will we bring back the hostages and win the war.”
The status of the Temple Mount in Jewish law is contested – most Orthodox authorities maintain that ascending there is forbidden due to significant parts of it being deemed too holy to be walked on. Some religious Zionist authorities permit it, citing knowledge of the specific areas where one may be permitted to tread.
Defence Minister Israel Katz opted to visit the Western Wall, adjacent to the Temple Mount – the traditional prayer site for those who deem the Mount itself to be off-limits.
“On Tisha B’Av, two thousand years after the destruction of the Second Temple, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount are again under the sovereignty of the State of Israel,” he wrote, in a message on social media.
“Israel haters around the world continue to make decisions against us and protest, and we will strengthen our hold and sovereignty over Jerusalem, at the Western Wall, and the Temple Mount, forever,” he added.
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