The new Israeli Minister of National Security visited the esplanade of the Mosques this Tuesday morning January 3. Itamar Ben Gvir, elected from the extreme right, is used to going to this third holiest site in Islam, also considered by Jews to be the Temple Mount, sacred in Judaism; place of all tensions. This regularly causes clashes between the Palestinians and the Israeli police. Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit had been announced, then cancelled. But in the end it was a diversion, he took everyone by surprise.
With our correspondent in Jerusalem, Sami Boukhelifa
As soon as his visit was announced at the beginning of the week, threats multiplied on the Palestinian side. That of Hamas in power in Gaza, in particular which warns: ” it will not go unpunished “.
The esplanade of the Mosques is a red line for the Palestinians. Sacred in Judaism, it is also open to visits by the Jewish faithful. But there are faithful and faithful and Itamar Ben Gvir, he is a provocateur, from the Israeli far right. His many visits to the esplanade of the Mosques are more ideological than religious.
ממשלת ישראל שאני חבר בה לא תיכנע לארגון מרצחים שפל. הר הבית פתוח לכולם ואם החמאס חושב ה הוא יאיים עלי 19 ירתיע אותי, שיבינו שהשתנו הזמנים. יש ממשלה בירושלים! pic.twitter.com/vgDYBYacJG
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) January 3, 2023
The committed Israeli government
In the past, its militants have already tried to wave an Israeli flag at the foot of the mosques, as if to impose Israeli sovereignty over this place which is the subject of a status quo. Since the conquest of East Jerusalem by Israel in 1967, the esplanade has been under Jordanian administration.
Notable fact: during his previous incursions on the esplanade of the Mosques, Itamar Ben Gvir was a simple elected official. From now on, he is Minister of National Security and his actions therefore commit the Israeli government.
The Palestinians draw a parallel with the visit of Ariel Sharon to the esplanade in the year 2000, at the time a simple deputy and later became Prime Minister. This had triggered a large-scale uprising, the first act of the second intifada.
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