Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound has again become a flashpoint after Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir joined a large group of Jewish visitors at the site in late July, with the Guardian reporting that Arab states and some former Israeli officials have voiced alarm over the direction of Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Key facts
- In late July, Itamar Ben-Gvir joined a group the Guardian describes as more than 2,000 Jewish visitors at the al-Aqsa mosque compound.
- Ben-Gvir has made a series of visits to the site over the past three years, according to the Guardian.
- Jordanian officials have warned the site could be at risk of an 'imminent' Israeli takeover, according to the Guardian.
- Israeli national elections are scheduled for October, per the Guardian.
- The Guardian reported that Netanyahu this weekend rejected a US-backed 15-point peace plan.
- Honest Abe News has not independently verified these claims, and the Israeli government's response was not included in the source.
Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque compound, one of the region’s most sensitive religious sites, has again become a flashpoint, according to a Guardian briefing. The outlet reports that in late July Itamar Ben-Gvir, a settler and far-right minister of security in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, joined a group of more than 2,000 Jewish visitors at the compound.
The Guardian says such visits have taken place for years, and that Ben-Gvir has made a series of visits to the site over the last three years in what the outlet characterises as a pattern eroding long-standing norms at the site. The compound, revered in both Islam and Judaism, is governed by a decades-old ‘status quo’ arrangement on access and worship.
Jordanian officials have recently warned that al-Aqsa could be at risk of an ‘imminent’ Israeli takeover, according to the Guardian, which adds that some Arab states and former Israeli officials have voiced alarm over the Netanyahu government’s approach. The source does not include a response from the Israeli government, which has previously said it maintains the site’s status quo.
In the same briefing, the Guardian writes that, with national elections scheduled for October and attention still on Gaza, the Israeli government ‘appears to be racing’ to expand settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Guardian uses the term ‘ethnic cleansing’ to describe those policies; this is the outlet’s characterisation and is disputed. Honest Abe News has not independently verified it.
The Guardian also reported that Netanyahu this weekend rejected a US-backed 15-point peace plan. It remains unclear what specific measures, if any, the Israeli government plans regarding the compound, and no official Israeli statement on the recent visits was included in the source.
Why it matters
The al-Aqsa compound is among the most sensitive religious sites in the world, and any perceived change to its long-standing status quo risks inflaming wider regional tensions. Warnings attributed by the Guardian to Arab states and former Israeli officials point to concerns that political pressures ahead of Israel's October elections could affect stability in Jerusalem and the West Bank, though key facts remain contested and unverified.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Itamar Ben-Gvir?
According to the Guardian, Itamar Ben-Gvir is a West Bank settler and far-right minister of security in Benjamin Netanyahu's government. He led more than 2,000 Jewish extremists to storm the al-Aqsa compound in late July.and has visited the site repeatedly over the past three years.
What have Jordanian officials said about al-Aqsa?
Jordanian officials have recently warned that the al-Aqsa site could be at risk of an 'imminent' Israeli takeover, the Guardian reports.
When are Israeli elections scheduled?
Israeli national elections are scheduled for October, according to the Guardian.