Jerusalem, Aug 14 Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made a provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a sensitive site in East Jerusalem, sparking widespread condemnation.
In video footage released by his office on Tuesday, Ben-Gvir is seen accompanied by far-right supporters, walking around the compound and chanting,"The people of Israel live!"
He was joined by Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Israel's Minister for the development of the Negev and Galilee, Xinhua news agency reported.
Several supporters were heard reciting a Jewish prayer, which is prohibited under the longstanding status quo. Photos circulating on social media showed dozens of Jews praying and bowing at the site.
"Our policy is to allow prayers," Ben-Gvir said.
Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that about 1,500 right-wing activists accompanied Ben-Gvir during the visit.
The visit prompted a response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, which said in a statement that Ben-Gvir could not establish new policies at the site.
"No minister, including the National Security Minister, has a private policy," the statement said.
It emphasised that the visit "deviated from the status quo" and reaffirmed that Israel's policy regarding the site "has not changed and will not change".
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesperson released a condemnation, warning in a statement of the "consequences of the dangerous provocations of the terrorist colonialist invasions in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque".
Jordan, the custodian of the compound, condemned the visit.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry described the actions of the two senior officials as a "blatant violation of international law and the historical and legal status in Jerusalem and the holy sites".
The continued unilateral Israeli actions and ongoing violations of the historical and legal status in Jerusalem and its holy sites require a clear and firm international stance condemning these violations and breaches, and providing necessary protection for the Palestinian people, said the Ministry.
A spokesperson for the US embassy in Israel also condemned the visit, stating that unilateral moves threaten the status quo in Jerusalem.
In a statement, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit condemned in the strongest terms the visit, saying that "those hardliners push the situation to the brink and deliberately provoke sentiments of millions of Muslims worldwide".
The storming of Al-Aqsa happened under the protection of the Israeli police that turned the Old City into a military barrack and imposed restrictions on the access of the worshipers, Aboul-Gheit stressed.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "the Israeli irresponsible behaviours violate the international laws and the existing historical and legal condition in Al-Aqsa".
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound holds sacred significance for both Muslims and Jews and has long been a flashpoint for deadly violence between the two sides.
Under the status quo, non-Muslim worshippers may visit the site in the heart of the Old City but are not allowed to pray there.
--IANS
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