Far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has risked inflaming religious tensions by reportedly praying at the Al Aqsa mosque site in Jerusalem.
The compound sits atop the Temple Mount, which is considered holy in Islam, Judaism and Christianity, has been a flashpoint during the Israel-Hamas war.
In this story, Sky News looks at why the security minister is so inflammatory – and why his actions at Al Aqsa are so controversial.
Who is Itamar Ben-Gvir?
Viewed as a hardline extremist by some, Itamar Ben-Gvir is a powerful figure in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Burly, bespectacled and rough-spoken, the 49-year-old has appeared to delight in offending anyone not aligned to the views of the pro-settler, nationalist-religious constituency behind his Jewish Power party.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Love Trump’ says Israeli minister at strike site
During the 2022 election campaign, he was photographed brandishing a gun at Palestinian demonstrators in East Jerusalem.
In government, Mr Ben-Gvir and fellow hardliner, finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, have repeatedly clashed with Mr Netanyahu and criticised peace efforts.
The pair threatened to quit last year – thereby collapsing the governing coalition – if the prime minister agreed to a ceasefire deal before Hamas was destroyed.
Mr Ben-Gvir has also called for Israel to conquer all of Gaza.
Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Pic: Reuters
What is the Al Aqsa compound – and why is it so important?
Al Aqsa is a compound of Islamic religious buildings on top of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Among them is the Dome of the Rock shrine, the oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture, with a distinctive golden dome structure that looks out over the city.
The compound is the third holiest site in Islam and the most sacred site in Judaism.
Under a delicate decades-old “status quo” arrangement with Muslim authorities, the site is administered by a Jordanian religious foundation, and Jews can visit but may not pray there.
Suggestions that Israel could alter the rules at the compound have sparked outrage in the Muslim world before and ignited violence in the past. There were no immediate reports of violence on Sunday.
The Dome of the Rock seen atop the Temple Mount. Pic: Reuters
Read more:
Hamas ‘ready’ to receive aid for Israeli hostages
New US plan for Gaza starting to emerge
What happened when Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Al Aqsa?
Mr Ben-Gvir visited the site on Sunday and reportedly prayed there – challenging the rules.
Videos released by a small Jewish organisation called the Temple Mount Administration showed him leading a group walking in the compound. Other videos circulating online appeared to show him praying.
The Waqf, the foundation that administers the complex, said Mr Ben-Gvir was among 1,250 who ascended the site and who it said prayed, danced and shouted.
In a statement on social media alongside a video appearing to show him outside the Dome of the Rock, he reiterated his call for Israel to occupy all of Gaza and declare sovereignty.
“Only in this way will we return the kidnapped and win the war,” he wrote.
Itamar Ben-Gvir approaches the entrance to Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site in August 2024. File pic: AP
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
A spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Mr Ben-Gvir’s visit, which he said “crossed all red lines”.
“The international community, specifically the US administration, is required to intervene immediately to put an end to the crimes of the settlers and the provocations of the extreme right-wing government in Al Aqsa mosque, stop the war on the Gaza Strip and bring in humanitarian aid,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement.
Mr Netanyahu said after Mr Ben-Gvir’s visit that Israel’s policy of maintaining the status quo at the compound “has not changed and will not change”.
This story originally appeared on Skynews
