Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir's Controversial Visit and Prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound

Visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound

• 🇮🇱 Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the highly sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem.
• 🗣️ Ben-Gvir claimed he prayed at the site, a move that challenges existing rules.
• 🕌 The foundation administering the complex confirmed Ben-Gvir was among 1,250 visitors who prayed.

Status Quo and International Reaction

• 📜 Under a decades-old arrangement, Jews are permitted to visit the site but prohibited from praying.
• 🇯🇴 The Jordanian foreign ministry described the visit as a flagrant violation of international law.
• 🤝 The agreement is part of an armistice between Israel and Jordan following the 1967 Six-Day War.

Minister Ben-Gvir's Stance and Actions

• 🏛️ Ben-Gvir, described as a former racist hooligan with convictions for hate crimes and terror, has made it his policy to ignore and trample upon the status quo.
• 🗣️ He has stated that the agreement no longer exists, despite the Israeli prime minister's affirmations to the contrary.
• 🌍 His actions are seen as an attempt to provoke Muslims worldwide and challenge the Israeli prime minister.

Ben-Gvir's Stated Objectives

• 🔥 Ben-Gvir's objective is seen as provocation and causing a conflagration, potentially leading to a religious war.
• 🗺️ His longer-term plan includes allowing Jews to take over the entire territory of the region, including Gaza and the West Bank.
• 🇵🇸 He also made statements linking the response to hostage videos to occupying Gaza, destroying Hamas, and encouraging Palestinian immigration (ethnic cleansing).

Internal Israeli Divisions

• 💔 Even supporters of the prime minister, like the mother of a killed hostage, have expressed that surrender might be less painful than seeing more videos of hostages near death, countering Ben-Gvir's hardline stance.
• ⚖️ This highlights an internal fight within the extreme right-wing of the current Israeli government.