Arab News | Far-right Israeli minister Ben-Gvir storms Al-Aqsa Mosque on Yom Kippur

LONDON: The Palestinian Authority condemned on Sunday the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the walled city of occupied East Jerusalem by Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right National Security Minister in the Israeli ruling coalition.

Ben-Gvir toured the site’s courtyards amid a heavy security presence and performed talmudic rituals in the eastern area of the site, according to the Palestine News Agency.

The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs denounced the visit, which coincides with the first day of Yom Kippur, the most important day in the Jewish calendar, and runs until tomorrow.

The Awqaf warned that the actions “fuel anger among Muslims worldwide” and “constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the holiest Islamic site and a malicious attempt to impose a new reality and alter the historical and legal status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Ben-Gvir has repeatedly called for Jewish worshippers to be granted greater access to Al-Aqsa. Since taking office in 2023, he has stormed the compound at least 17 times, sparking anger and condemnation.

Al-Aqsa compound, Islam’s third-holiest site, also known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, has been the site of frequent conflicts — including raids by Israeli settlers and restrictions on Muslim worshippers — since East Jerusalem was occupied in June 1967.

Settlers, who refer to the area as the Temple Mount, seek to establish a presence in the compound to perform Jewish prayers at certain times. Several far-right ministers and Knesset members in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government have publicly endorsed the plans.