JERUSALEM: The United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkiye were among those who condemned a visit by Israel’s extreme-right new national security minister to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Tuesday.

The move by firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir has enraged Palestinians, while the US warned of steps which may harm the status quo.

“Our government will not surrender to the threats of Hamas,” Ben-Gvir vowed in a statement published by his spokesman, after the Palestinian militant group warned such a step was a “red line”.

Ben-Gvir’s visit comes days after he took office as national security minister, with powers over the police, giving his decision to enter the highly sensitive site considerable weight.

Turkiye, Saudi Arabia term trip a ‘provocative action’; move enrages Palestinians

The UAE, which established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, “strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa mosque courtyard by an Israeli minister”.

The US ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, said Washington “has made it clear to the Israeli government it opposes any steps that could harm the status quo in the holy sites”.

Turkiye termed the Israeli minister’s visit to Al-Aqsa mosque compound a “provocative act”. Ankara’s statement came amid efforts by Turkiye and Israel to normalise ties, after a four-year deterioration in relations, and mutual appointment of ambassadors.

“We are concerned by the provocative act of Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir towards Al-Aqsa mosque under the protection of Israeli police and we condemn it,” the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia condemned “provocative actions” by the Israeli minister who it said had “stormed” the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Tuesday, the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “The foreign ministry expresses the condemnation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the provocative action by an Israeli official who stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque compound,” the statement said.

Israel’s Sephardi chief rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, wrote to Ben-Gvir on Tuesday. “What will people say when they see a minister, an observant Jew, who flouts the position of the rabbinate,” he said in a letter.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is committed to “strictly keeping the status quo” at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, an official in his office said on Tuesday, after the minister’s visit sparked Arab condemnation.

Jordan’s foreign ministry spokesman Sinan Majali said Amman summoned the Israeli ambassador, to “convey a protest message about the recklessness of the Israeli national security minister in storming the blessed Al-Aqsa mosque”.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2023