Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Tuesday, January 3, 2023

White House official: Netanyahu must maintain Temple Mount status quo

3 January 2023, 4:38 pm 0 Edit

Israeli security forces escort a group of religious Jews as they visit the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City on March 31, 2022. (Jamal Awad/Flash90)

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council warns against any steps that would jeopardize the status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem, following new National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount earlier today.

“The United States stands firmly for preservation of the status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem,” says the NSC spokesperson in a statement. “Any unilateral action that jeopardizes the status quo is unacceptable,” the spokesperson says, adding that the US hopes and expects Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will preserve his commitment to maintaining the status quo of the Temple Mount and other holy sites.