US leads international condemnations of Ben Gvir’s ‘provocations’ at Temple Mount
State Department says minister’s declaration that prayer is allowed at site contributes to ‘greater insecurity and instability in the region’; UN calls move ‘unduly provocative’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken led widespread criticism of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir Tuesday for declaring that Jewish prayer is allowed atop the Temple Mount, slamming the far-right political leader’s announcement and visit to the flashpoint site as a provocation liable to set the region aflame.
Ben Gvir’s moves — which violate the status quo governing the sensitive holy site and directly contradict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s own directives — earned condemnation from the United States, European Union, United Nations, France, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and others.
Ben Gvir’s visit “demonstrated blatant disregard for the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem,” Blinken said in a statement late Tuesday.
“These provocative actions only exacerbate tensions at a pivotal moment when all focus should be on the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of all hostages and create the conditions for broader regional stability,” he added, noting Washington’s support for the status quo arrangement, under which Jews may visit, but not pray, atop the compound.
Blinken’s condemnation came after US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said Ben Gvir’s moves harm Israeli security amid already sky-high tensions in the region.
“We certainly are paying close attention to actions and activities that we find to be a detraction from Israel’s security, a contributor to greater insecurity and instability in the region. That would certainly be the actions that we saw today that Mr. Ben Gvir participated in,” Patel told a press briefing.
Patel noted that “even the Prime Minister’s Office made clear that the events of this morning are a deviation from what is Israeli policy and a deviation from the status quo.”
The spokesman said that the US “stands firmly for preservation of the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites of Jerusalem. Any unilateral action like this that jeopardizes the status quo is unacceptable.”
Noting the sensitive timing, as Israel is bracing for retaliatory strikes from both Iran and Hezbollah days before Gaza ceasefire talks are slated to restart, Patel said Ben Gvir’s visit “detracts from what we think is a vital time, as we are working to get this ceasefire deal across the finish line. It detracts from what our stated goal is for the region, which is a two-state solution.”
Ben Gvir, who heads the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, has long advocated for greater Israeli control over the Temple Mount and the lifting of restrictions on Jews praying there. On Tuesday, amid the Jewish fast of Tisha B’Av, which commemorates the destruction of the Jewish temples, the minister visited the site alongside a large group of men who openly prayed and prostrated at the site, with Ben Gvir sharing a video declaring that “our policy is to allow prayer.”
The move sparked yet another repudiation from Netanyahu’s office, saying that policy at the site “is directly subject to the government and the prime minister. There is no private policy by a specific minister at the Temple Mount — neither by the national security minister nor by any other minister,” underscoring that “Israel’s policy at the Temple Mount hasn’t changed.”
The EU on Tuesday also condemned what it called Ben Gvir’s “provocations” at the site.
“The EU strongly condemns the provocations by Israeli Min. Ben Gvir who, during his visit to the Holy Sites, advocated for the violation of the status quo,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on X.
The UN joined the denunciations, calling the minister’s visit and his comments “unduly provocative.”
“We are against any efforts to change the status quo within the holy sites,” said deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. “Al-Aqsa mosque, like the other holy sites in Jerusalem, should be left to themselves and should be controlled by the existing religious authorities for the sites. This sort of behavior is unhelpful and it is unduly provocative.”
France’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, urged Israel to respect the status quo at the site, adding that “this new provocation is unacceptable.”
Qatar condemned “in the strongest terms” the visit to the Temple Mount, calling it “a provocation and a flagrant violation of international law” that may negatively impact ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry slammed the “blatant and repeated incursions” by Israeli officials and citizens to the site, while Jordan urged the international community to “firmly” condemn the visit and Egypt demanded world powers “play an active role in confronting these violations that stir up emotions and thwart efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Meanwhile, unnamed security sources told Channel 12 news that they have seen an uptick in terror threats since Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount, and accused the minister of playing with fire and risking drawing Arab Israelis into the ongoing conflict. Similarly, Haaretz quoted Israeli security sources saying they feared Israel’s handling of the issue would deepen the sense among Arab Israelis that the status of Al-Aqsa was indeed in danger, and prompt them to engage in public disturbances — precisely as Hamas has been trying to do, thus far in vain.
The vague status quo governing the compound, the holiest site in Judaism and third-holiest in Islam, allows Muslims to pray and enter with few restrictions, while non-Muslims, including Jews, can visit only during limited time slots via a single gate. Visibly religious Jews are only allowed to walk on a predetermined route, closely accompanied by police.
Palestinians often claim Israel wishes to assert greater control over the Mount, and the issue is seen as a particularly sensitive one, with explosive potential for the region. Violations of the status quo are viewed by Israeli security officials as having the potential to set off mass unrest. The Temple Mount has been the scene of frequent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces, and tensions at the disputed compound have fueled past rounds of violence.
