Israeli hardliner Ben-Gvir draws anger with Al-Aqsa prayer call

Far-right Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, on Tuesday, visited the Al-Aqsa mosque compound known to Jews as Temple Mount, and said Jews should be allowed to pray there, freshly challenging rules covering one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly denied there would be any change to rules prohibiting Jews from praying at the site, which is holy to Muslims as well. He also issued a rebuke to Ben-Gvir, head of one of the nationalist religious parties in the ruling coalition. 

"There is no private policy of any minister on the Temple Mount - neither the Minister of National Security nor any other minister," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

The Al-Aqsa compound, revered by Jews as a vestige of their two ancient temples, is administered by a Jordanian religious foundation and under rules dating back decades, Jews are allowed to visit, but may not pray there.

"Our policy is to allow prayer," Ben-Gvir said as he passed a line of Jewish visitors who prostrated themselves on the ground, while others sang and clapped their hands in celebration. The Waqf, the foundation that administers the site, said around 2,250 Jews entered the site on Tuesday.

In Washington, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement blasting Ben-Gvir's visit to the site.

The row with Ben-Gvir was the second time this week that Netanyahu has clashed with one of his senior ministers, following a sharp reprimand issued to Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday over the aims of the Gaza war.

France also condemned Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Tuesday, saying it was in violation of the historic status quo of the holy places in Jerusalem.

Ben-Gvir's remarks, during a visit to the complex to mark the Jewish day of mourning for the destruction of the ancient temples, come at an especially sensitive time, with the war in Gaza at risk of escalating into a wider conflict, potentially drawing in Iran and its regional proxies.

The spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced Ben-Gvir's visit as a "provocation" and called on the US to intervene "if it wants to prevent the region from exploding in an uncontrollable manner".

Blinken said Washington strongly opposed Ben-Gvir's visit, which he said "demonstrated blatant disregard for the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem."

"These provocative actions only exacerbate tensions at a pivotal moment when all focus should be on the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of all hostages and create the conditions for broader regional stability," Blinken said, calling on the Israeli government to prevent similar incidents going forward.

Ben-Gvir has clashed repeatedly with other ministers over his calls to allow prayer at the compound, which has helped trigger repeated conflicts with the Palestinians over the years, including a 10-day war with Hamas in 2021.

Moshe Gafni, head of United Torah Judaism, one of the religious parties in the government, criticized Ben-Gvir's visit to the compound, which many Orthodox Jews believe is too sacred a place for Jews to enter.

"The damage it causes to the Jewish people is unbearable, and it also causes unfounded hatred on the day of the destruction of the Temple," he said in a statement.