Tourists take cover from the mid-day heat at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, July 26, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)
RIYADH/DUBAI/AMMAN – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan condemned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem in the company of a group of settlers on Thursday.
In a statement quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency, the Saudi foreign ministry denounced the Israeli "systematic practices" as "a flagrant infringement of all international norms and covenants" that provoke the feelings of Muslims worldwide.
A spokesperson for Jordan's foreign ministry reiterated that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims alone and that the Jordan-run Jerusalem Awqaf and Aqsa Affairs Department has the "exclusive authority" to supervise the holy site's affairs and manage entries
The ministry held Israel "fully accountable for the repercussions of such continued violations," while reiterating its call on the international community to shoulder its responsibility to end the Israeli escalation, provide necessary protection for civilians, and exert all efforts to end the conflict.
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Earlier in the day, Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, along with hundreds of extremist settlers, under heavy protection of Israeli forces to mark the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av, a day of mourning and repentance for Jews to reflect on the destruction of the First and Second Temples.
In a statement quoted by the official news agency WAM, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs "reaffirmed the UAE's firm position on the need to provide full protection for Al-Aqsa Mosque, and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there."
A handout picture courtesy of Minhelet Har-Habait (Temple Mount Administration) shows Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (left) walking through the courtyard of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque complex, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, early on May 21, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)
It also underscored the need to support all efforts to advance the peace process in the Middle East, end illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution, and establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
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Jordan's foreign ministry warned in a statement about the serious consequences of allowing extremists to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque and their provocative practices under the protection of Israeli forces.
The ministry's spokesperson Sinan Majali reiterated that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims alone and that the Jordan-run Jerusalem Awqaf and Aqsa Affairs Department has the "exclusive authority" to supervise the holy site's affairs and manage entries.