Visit of far-right Israeli minister to Al-Aqsa Mosque sparks angry reactions

There were immediate strong reactions to Ben-Gvir’s efforts, including from the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He condemned the incident. “Israeli policy on the Temple Mount has not changed,” he said, calling it “a deviation from the status quo.”

The Palestinian Authority spoke of a “dangerous escalation” and warned that it could have “serious consequences for the entire region.” Condemnations also came from Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, among others, and were not dissimilar from Europe and the United States.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, wrote on Twitter that the EU “strongly condemns these provocations that violate the status quo.” Borrell has received support from Washington. “This is not only unacceptable, but also distracts from what we believe is a critical moment as we work toward a ceasefire in Gaza,” a White House spokesman said.

The United Nations is also speaking out. “This kind of behaviour is not helpful and is an unnecessary provocation,” said Farhan Haq, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent future “provocative actions.” “We expect the government of Israel to prevent similar incidents in the future,” the US Secretary of State said in a statement, criticizing the minister’s “blatant disregard.”