A far-right Israeli minister visited a holy site in East Jerusalem where Jewish prayer is banned, raising tensions in the Middle East.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the East Jerusalem compound on August 3 and prayed at the site, AFP reported.
Ben-Gvir has repeatedly visited Al-Aqsa since the outbreak of the war in Palestine in October 2023, further inflaming Palestinian sentiment.
Although Israel holds security authority over the compound, its administration is handled by Jordan, which allows prayer only for Muslims within the site.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning Ben-Gvir’s visit as “an unacceptable provocation, and a condemned escalation.”
