JERUSALEM

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed on Monday that Jews have the right to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, saying he would build a synagogue at the flashpoint site.

“The policy allows for prayers on the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque). There is equal law for Jews and Muslims. I would build a synagogue there,” Ben-Gvir, the leader of the Jewish Power Party, told Israel’s Army Radio.

This is the first time for the extremist minister to openly speak about building a synagogue inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque. However, he has repeatedly called in recent months for allowing Jewish prayers at the site.

Ben-Gvir’s comments came amid repeated incursions into the complex by illegal Israeli settlers in full view of Israeli police who fall under the responsibility of the far-right minister.

In response to Ben-Gvir's repeated statements over the past few months, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque remains unchanged.

The status quo, in place since before the 1967 Israeli occupation, designates the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, under the Jordanian minister of Awqaf and Islamic affairs, as responsible for managing Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is a place of worship for Muslims only.

However, since 2003, Israeli police have unilaterally allowed illegal settlers to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque on weekdays, excluding Fridays and Saturdays, without the approval of the Islamic Waqf.

Ben-Gvir's frequent incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and his statements advocating Jewish prayers at the site have provoked a wave of condemnations from the Arab and Islamic world as well as the international community.

His actions have also upset Israeli religious parties that oppose these incursions due to the lack of ritual purity required for entering what Jews believe to be the site of the alleged temple.

Responding to Ben-Gvir’s remarks, Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel from the Shas Party called on Netanyahu “to put Ben-Gvir in his place, especially regarding what he said this morning about the Temple Mount,” according to Army Radio.

“His (Ben-Gvir's) irresponsible words endanger Israel’s strategic alliances with Islamic countries that are part of the coalition against the Iranian axis of evil,” he said.

“His lack of intelligence could lead to bloodshed,” he warned.

Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said that it had obtained videos and photos showing extremist settlers performing prayers during their incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, in full view of Israeli police.

There was no comment from Israeli police on the report.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third holiest site in Islam. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, believing it to be the location of two ancient Jewish temples.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. In 1980, Israel annexed the entire city, a move that has never been recognized by the international community.

Israel has faced international condemnation over its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip that killed over 4,400 people since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio