Israeli Security Minister Visits Temple Mount Angering Palestinians

MOSCOW (Sputnik) Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who advocates a tougher position on the Palestinian Authority, visited the Temple Mount for the first time since the elections in November 2022, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.

Jewish visits to the Temple Mount often cause Muslim unrest and subsequent clashes with Israeli police. According to an Israeli newspaper, Ben-Gvir said that the government "will not give in to threats from Hamas." The report added that the minister made this pilgrimage after consultations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The Temple Mount is the most important place for the Jewish people. We [will] maintain freedom of movement for Muslims and Christians … Those who make threats will be dealt with an iron fist," Ben-Gvir said.

Later in the day, Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh called Ben-Gvir's visit to the Temple Mount a challenge to the Palestinian people, Palestinian media reported.

The spokesman said that Israel’s provocations would lead to more tensions and violence and held the Israeli government fully responsible for any results or consequences of its "racist policy," the report added.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also condemned Ben-Gvir's visit to the holy site and called on the international community to cease Israel’s provocations.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns this sinful desecration and warns of its dangerous consequences on the security and stability of the region. We also call upon all the regional and international players to step in to end the provocations of this extremist government, which revealed its true intentions only a few days after its formation. Otherwise, these risky policies will drive the region to the edge of the abyss," the ministry said.

Relations between Israel and Palestine have been adversarial since the founding of Israel in 1948. Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition of their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity, and builds settlements in the occupied areas despite objections from the United Nations.