Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Wednesday that he will continue his incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Israel’s Kan channel quoted Ben Gvir as saying, “With all due respect to Jordan, I did it and I will continue climbing the Temple Mount,” referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Ben Gvir added: “Israel is an independent state and is not under any external tutelage from any other country.”
Kan channel described these statements as a “challenge” to Netanyahu, who promised the Jordanian monarch to maintain the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Ben Gvir’s announcement came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s first visit to Jordan since 2018, during which he pledged to Jordanian monarch King Abdullah II to maintain the historical and legal status quo at holy sites in the city of Jerusalem. and the Hashemite guardianship of them.
During the meeting, King Abdullah stressed the need for Israel to respect the historical and legal status quo in the city of Jerusalem, as well as the Hashemite guardianship of Christian and Islamic holy sites, in particular the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and not compromise its sanctity. .
The Jordanian and Israeli sides discussed a number of regional issues, bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as the need for the Palestinian side to benefit from economic and regional projects.
Netanyahu’s visit to Jordan comes in light of tense relations between the two sides following the interception by Israeli police of Jordanian Ambassador to Tel Aviv Ghassan al-Majali as he entered the Al-Aqsa mosque last Tuesday.
This prompted the Jordanian Foreign Ministry to summon Israel’s Ambassador to Amman, Eitan Surkis, to inform him of Jordan’s displeasure at Majali’s ban on entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Significantly, Ben-Gvir stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa mosque earlier this month under the protection of Israeli forces in agreement with Netanyahu.
Source: agencies