From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
US State Department warns Ben Gvir’s Temple Mount visit could ‘provoke violence’
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US State Department Spokesman Ned Price says the US is “deeply concerned” by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount earlier today.
When asked about the visit during a press briefing, Price says the US believes the visit has “the potential to exacerbate tensions and to provoke violence.”
The White House also speaks out against the move, expressing its support for preserving the sensitive status quo at the site.
“The United States stands firmly… for the preservation of the status quo with respect to holy sites in Jerusalem,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says when asked whether the Biden administration views the visit as constructive.
“Any unilateral action that jeopardizes the status quo is unacceptable,” she says.
US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides offered similar remarks earlier today.
