Ben-Gvir’s Aqsa visit ‘puts Israel in fight with half of world’: Lapid
Itamar Ben-Gvir enters Al-Aqsa Mosque complex amid warning of unrest
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Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday criticized the visit of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the al-Aqsa Mosque complex in East Jerusalem.
"In order to allow Ben-Gvir to enjoy 13 minutes on the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque complex)", Israel was put in a fight with half of the world,” said Lapid, who is now the opposition leader.
The former premier termed Ben-Gvir's tour as "irresponsible on a national scale and only emphasizes the weakness of (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu in the face of his ministers."
Early on Tuesday, the far-right minister entered the flashpoint site, a day after announcing he postponed the visit amid warnings of unrest.
The visit drew Palestinian and international condemnations, including the US, Jordan, Türkiye, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, call the area as the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.
UN calls for upholding status quo in Jerusalem holy sites
A spokesman for the United Nations on Tuesday underscored the importance of upholding the status quo in the holy sites, in reaction to the controversial visit by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has always stressed the importance of upholding the status quo in the holy sites, "in line with the special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for Guterres, told a regular press briefing.
The secretary-general calls on all to refrain from steps that could escalate tensions in and around the holy sites, he added.
UAE and China call for urgent UN Security Council meeting after Ben-Gvir's Al Aqsa visit
Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned 'storming of Al
Aqsa Mosque courtyard' by Israeli minister
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The UAE and China have called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday.
Diplomats say a session to discuss the issue is likely to take place on Thursday.
The UAE Foreign Ministry on Wednesday strongly condemned the “storming of Al Aqsa Mosque courtyard by an Israeli minister under the protection of Israeli forces”.
“The ministry underscored the need to respect the custodial role of the Hashemite Kingdom 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,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would also seek a Security Council condemnation, the Palestinian Wafa News Agency said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "calls on all to refrain from steps that could escalate tensions in and around the holy sites," his deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.
This follows a call between the foreign ministers of the UAE and Jordan, during which they stressed their condemnation of the visit.
Also on Wednesday, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdulla also spoke to his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu during which they “underlined the importance of preserving the status and sanctity of holy places in Jerusalem and increasing coordination against such unacceptable acts”.
“They reiterated the need to provide full protection for Al Aqsa Mosque and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there and called upon Israeli authorities to assume responsibility for reducing escalation and instability in the region,” the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement.
In a further threat to escalating the tensions, videos posted on social media early on Wednesday showed at least a dozen Jewish settlers performing Talmudic rituals near the Bab Al Rahma (Gate of Mercy) near the Eastern Wall area of the Al Aqsa compound.
Mr Ben-Gvir was surrounded by heavy security during the visit, after Palestinian warnings that his presence at the site would cause “an explosion”.
The minister, leader of the far-right Jewish National Front party, was sworn into office on Thursday.
Tensions continued on Wednesday with several Israeli police cars entered Jerusalem's Silwan neighbourhood accompanied by a bulldozer.
The Palestinian neighbourhood lies below the southern walls of the Old City, with Al Aqsa mosque – the third holiest site in Islam – visible from the streets below.
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He has previously visited the compound as a member of parliament and has called for Jewish worship there.
This is banned under an agreement with Jordan.
Under a longstanding status quo, non-Muslims can visit the site at specific times but are not allowed to pray there.
Jordan, the custodian of Al Aqsa Mosque compound, summoned the Israeli ambassador and said the visit had violated international law and “the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem”.
Türkiye, UAE discuss Israel's storming of Al-
Aqsa mosque
The foreign ministers of Türkiye and UAE on Wednesday discussed the recent developments in Afghanistan and Israel's Tuesday storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
In a phone call, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan "discussed mutual concerns over Taliban's recent ban on women’s access to education and their exclusion from national and international non-governmental and humanitarian organizations."
Affirming Türkiye's expectation from Afghanistan to reverse its decision on women's access to education, Cavusoglu also "emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts in this regard, particularly through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation."
The ministry further noted that the UAE's minister said the decision "as well as the earlier bans on girls from accessing secondary education, violate fundamental human rights."
He "emphasized that Islam devoted significant attention to women, granted them a privileged position, and safeguarded their rights," according to the ministry.
The Emirati minister also "affirmed the need to guarantee women's rights, as well as the importance of full and equal participation of women and girls in all aspects of life."
"During the phone call, the ministers also reiterated their condemnation of the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque yesterday by an Israeli minister. They underlined the importance of preserving the status and sanctity of holy places in Jerusalem and increasing coordination against such unacceptable acts," it added.
Emphasizing the "need to provide full protection for Al-Aqsa Mosque and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there," the two ministers "called upon Israeli authorities to assume responsibility for reducing escalation and instability in the region."
Cavusoglu and Al Nahyan also discussed issues related to the bilateral agenda.
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