UNO: At the request of the Palestinians and other Muslim and non-Muslim countries, the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting on Thursday to condemn an ultra-nationalist.
An Israeli cabinet minister's visit to a sensitive Jerusalem holy site sparked Israeli extremist calls to end the historical status quo and demand respect at the site revered by both Muslims and Jews.
Israel's new national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, on Tuesday visited the site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, which is Arabic for the Noble Sanctuary.
The visit drew strong criticism from the Muslim world, a strong rebuke from the United States, and fueled fears of unrest as Palestinian militant groups threatened to act in response.
Following a meeting on Wednesday with Arab ambassadors, members of the 120-member Non-Aligned Movement, the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation and others, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters that Ben-Israel's condemnation of the mass "extremism" extensive environment" as well as take a tour of Gwyer surrounding the most extremist government in history.
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He claimed that Israel had "attacked" not only against Christian cemeteries but also against Muslim holy sites such as the Al Aqsa Mosque. The ancient Biblical Temple is located at the holiest site in Judaism. The Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, is now located there. Since Israel took control of the site in 1967, Jews have been allowed to visit but are not allowed to pray there.
Ben-Gvir criticized "racist discrimination" against Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount, calling it "the most important place for the Jewish people".
He signaled to the camera that the tours would continue, while the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine, was in the background. In a video clip recorded during the visit, Ben-Gvir, known for his anti-Arab rhetoric and provocative actions, responded to threats from the militant Hamas group in Gaza, declaring: "The Israeli government will not surrender .. a bloody organization, to a despicable terrorist organization."
At Thursday's emergency Security Council meeting, which also had the support of the United Arab Emirates, China, France and Malta, Mansour, surrounded by ambassadors from around 20 countries, said: "We will not be satisfied with beautiful words.
We want them to be implemented practically. "We want guarantees that this behavior will not happen again at Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Haram Al-Sharif, and we want guarantees that the historical status quo will be honored and respected in actions, not just in words." According to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Khaled Khiere will brief the Security Council on Thursday.
Jordan's ambassador to the United Nations, Mahmoud Hammoud, said that his country was "extremely concerned at the incursions" by Minister Ben-Gvir and the Israeli government. Jordan's King Abdullah II is the custodian of Islamic and Christian holy sites. He claimed that "this is an act of extremism that intends to start a new cycle of violence." "The Security Council must take serious responsibility and thwart such attempts,"
According to Hamoud, Israel has promised to uphold the "historical legal status quo" and its obligations under international law, but regrettably, Ben-Gvir entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque in defiance of Israel's legal responsibilities. Did. did.
He urged the international community to take a firm stand against it as it would eventually happen again and start a new cycle of violence.
Hamoud recalled that Israel's opposition leader at the time, Ariel Sharon, visited the holy site in September 2000, which may have contributed to the conflicts that eventually erupted into the Second Intifada, a full-fledged Palestinian uprising. The Security Council regarded Sharon's visit as a "provocation" and condemned it.
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Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters clashed at the site, which also served as fuel for an 11-day war with Hamas in 2021.
Last week, Benjamin Netanyahu took charge of the most conservative, right-wing administration in the country's history for his sixth term as prime minister. Its objectives included annexing the occupied territory and expanding West Bank settlements.
Netanyahu said late Tuesday that Israel was still committed to "strictly maintaining the status quo" at the site in response to the uproar over Ben-Meit. Gavir's
He said that the claim of change in status quo is baseless.