ISRAELI CABINET MINISTER VISITS SENSITIVE HOLY SITE

A far-right Israeli Cabinet minister visited Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site on Sunday, declaring that “we are in charge,” while the Israeli Cabinet held a rare meeting in Jerusalem’s Old City to celebrate its control of the area.

The visit by Itamar BenGvir to the disputed hilltop compound drew condemnations from the Palestinians and Israel’s neighbor, Jordan. The site is revered by Jews and Muslims, and the competing claims lie at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Ben-Gvir, a former West Bank settler leader and farright activist who years ago was convicted of incitement and supporting a Jewish terror group, now serves as Israel’s national security minister.

The site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is the holiest site in Judaism, where the biblical Temples once stood.

Today, it is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. Under longstanding arrangements, Jews are permitted to visit the site, but not to pray there. BenGvir has long called for increased Jewish access.

“I am happy to come up to the Temple Mount, the most important place for the Israeli people,” Ben-Gvir said during his visit. He praised the police presence at the site, saying it “proves who is in charge in Jerusalem.”

Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh called Ben-Gvir’s visit a “blatant attack” on the mosque. Jordan, which serves as the custodian over the mosque, called it “a provocative step that is condemned, and a dangerous and unacceptable escalation.” Neighboring Egypt, which has a peace treaty with Israel, also issued a condemnation.