Hamas has reacted to a statement by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who said that he “allows Jews to worship” at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. In a written statement, Hamas said that Ben-Gvir’s statements “provide a green light for the Israeli government to continue its violations of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
The statement, which drew attention to the fact that such statements pose a threat to the Muslim identity and status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, called on Arab and Islamic countries to take action to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The statement emphasized that the Israeli government’s policy of Judaizing the Al-Aqsa Mosque had intensified, and conveyed that the Palestinian people would continue to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Known for his anti-Palestinian stance, Ben-Gvir said at a conference held in the Israeli Parliament to “encourage the Jewish raid” on the Al-Aqsa Mosque that he “allows Jews to worship in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.” Making no secret of his ambitions for the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Ben-Gvir advocates changing the current status quo in the Masjid al-Sharif.
Following Ben-Gvir’s statements, the Prime Ministry Press Office issued a written statement stating that, contrary to Ben-Gvir’s statements, the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem has not changed.
Status Quo and History of Al-Aqsa Mosque
- Jordan is considered the country responsible for religious affairs in Jerusalem under the Wadi Al-Car Agreement signed with Israel in 1994.
- According to the agreement signed between Jordanian King Abdullah II and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2013, the right to defend and supervise Jerusalem and its holy sites was given to Jordan.
- According to the agreement, Al-Aqsa Mosque is under the protection of the Jerusalem Islamic Endowments Authority, which is affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Sanctities.
- Jews, who previously visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque with the permission of the Jerusalem Islamic Endowments Authority, have been entering the Muslim holy shrine under police escort since 2003, as part of Israel’s unilateral decision to violate the Endowments Authority’s sovereignty.
- The Israeli government maintains that the historical status quo of “only Muslims can worship at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and members of other religions can only visit” is preserved.
- Fanatic Jewish settlers are frequently caught on camera praying and performing religious rituals during raids on Al-Aqsa under the protection of Israeli police.
