Any unilateral action that jeopardizes status quo of Jerusalem holy sites is unacceptable, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said on Tuesday after National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Temple Mount, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is located.
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"The United States stands firmly for preservation of the status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem. Any unilateral action that jeopardizes the status quo is unacceptable," the spokesperson said, adding the United States calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to preserve his commitment to the status quo of holy sites.
The US Embassy in Jerusalem said that Ambassador Thomas Nides "has been very clear in conversations with the Israeli government on the issue of preserving the status quo in Jerusalem's holy sites. Actions that prevent that are unacceptable."
Video: U.S. stands firm on preserving 'status quo' of Jerusalem's holy sites: White House / Reuters
The United Arab Emirates, which diplomatically recognized Israel in 2020, "strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard by an Israeli minister under the protection of Israeli forces." A Foreign Ministry statement urged Israel to "halt serious and provocative violations taking place there." The ministry also "called upon Israeli authorities to assume responsibility for reducing escalation and instability in the region."
Bahrain, which also recognized Israel at the same time, did not immediately acknowledge the incident. A separate statement from Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry also condemned the Israeli minister's action, as did statements from Kuwait and Qatar, all of which don't diplomatically recognize Israel over its occupation of lands sought by Palestinians for a future state.
Turkey, which has recently been working toward normalizing its strained ties with Israel, condemned what it said was "the provocative action" by the Israeli national security minister.
"We call on Israel to act responsibly to prevent such provocations that would violate the status and sanctity of religious sites in Jerusalem and cause an escalation in the region," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
According to the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen network, Hamas issued harsh warnings on the matter through Egyptian mediations and threatened "to ignite the region" should Ben-Gvir go through with the move.
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Ben-Gvir, in turn, said, "our government will not surrender to the threats of Hamas. The Temple Mount is the holiest place for the Jewish people, and we maintain the freedom of movement [at the site] for Muslims and Christians, but Jews too will ascend the mountain and those who make threats must be dealt with an iron fist."
Former prime minister and current Opposition Leader Yair Lapid also warned Ben-Gvir against the "provocative" move, saying it would "lead to violence that will endanger lives" and result in bloodshed.
Following Ben-Gvir's visit, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry put the blame on Netanyahu for what it said was an "invasion" of Al-Aqsa. Hamas condemned the move, saying it was "a continuation of the Zionist's occupation aggression on our sacred places and war on our Arab identity." "Our Palestinian people will continue defending their holy places and Al-Aqsa mosque," Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said.
Jordan also condemned Ben Gvir "in severest terms" and accused him of "storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque."
Nevertheless, right-wing group Beyadenu – Returning to the Temple Mount praised Ben-Gvir for "not giving in to Hamas' threats and intimidation. Meanwhile, the sun continues to rise in the Middle East and there is no fire. And even if someone tries to start a fire, I trust the IDF and the police will counter the threat. The time has come for us to be a free people in our land."
It was Ben-Gvir's first ascent to the holy site since being sworn in as national security minister in late December. During his visit, the entrance for Israelis to the Temple Mount was blocked. A longtime advocate for Jews being allowed to freely visit and pray at their holiest site, he vowed on the campaign trail to change the existing status quo preventing them from doing both.
Is Israel at risk of losing its new friends in the Middle East?
Prominent Emirati @KhalafAlHabtoor condemns Ben-Gvir's visit to the Temple Mount as an 'unacceptable provocation'
The ties are 'very sensitive, they can change over events like this,' @marwamaziad tells @calev_i24 pic.twitter.com/vn49hQlpaY
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) January 9, 2023
Currently, Jews can only visit the Mount during short windows of time, and are prohibited from worshiping so as to not upset Muslims, who regularly riot at the site.
Ben-Gvir's visit comes on the 10th day of the month of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar, a fast day commemorating the events that led to the destruction of the biblical Temple.
JNS.org contributed to this report.
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