Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the disputed Temple Mount this morning to pray for the return of hostages taken by the Hamas terrorist movement. This was reported by the AP agency, according to which Ben Gvir threatens to disrupt the ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip.
Ben Gvir said he went to the Jerusalem compound atop the Temple Mount to pray for the return of the hostages “but without a cutthroat deal.” He added that he is urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to did not succumb to international pressure and continued the military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The Temple Mount, which Muslims call Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary), lies on the plateau of the Old City in East Jerusalem and is the most sensitive site of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Part of the western wall of the Temple Mount forms the Wailing Wall. At the top of the mountain are the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Temple Mount is under administered by Muslims, but Israel is responsible for the security of the compound. According to unwritten agreements between the two sides, Jews can visit the place during the reserved time, but they cannot pray there. Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its eternal and indivisible capital, while the Palestinians want its eastern part to become the capital of their future state. Israel’s 1967 annexation of East Jerusalem is not recognized by the international community.
According to AP, there is a threat that the visit will disrupt sensitive conversations, which aim to bring about a ceasefire in the nine-month war between Israel and Hamas. Israeli negotiators landed in Cairo on Wednesday to resume talks. The visit also took place only a few days before Netanyahu left for the United Stateswhere he will speak at the Congress.
Ben Gvir last visited the Temple Mount in May to protest the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries. Palestinians consider the mosque a national symbol and similar visits considered a provocation. Tensions surrounding the complex have been the cause of violence in the past.
Source: zpravy.tiscali.cz
