- Title: UGC shows Israeli far-right minister visits contested Jerusalem holy site
- Date: 3rd January 2023
- Summary: JERUSALEM (JANUARY 3, 2023) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) VIDEO SHOWING ISRAELI FAR RIGHT NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER ITAMAR BEN-GVIR, SURROUNDED BY SECURITY, TOURING AL-AQSA COMPOUND
- Embargoed: 17th January 2023 07:45
- Keywords: Al-Aqsa mosque Israel Jerusalem Palestinians UGC far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir
- Location: JERUSALEM
- City: JERUSALEM
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001002803012023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Israel's far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the compound that houses the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on Tuesday (January 3), a move condemned by Palestinians as provocative and despite warnings it could lead to violence.
Video obtained by Reuters showed Ben-Gvir touring the site under heavy security.
The compound is Islam's third holiest site after Mecca and Medina and Judaism's most sacred, a vestige of two ancient temples of the faith.
Israel's opposition leader and former prime minister Yair Lapid had warned that such a visit by Ben-Gvir would spark violence.
Only Muslim worship is allowed at the site, and there was no indication that Ben-Gvir had prayed during his visit.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns the storming of Al-Aqsa mosque by the extremist minister Ben-Gvir and views it as unprecedented provocation and a dangerous escalation of the conflict."
Ben-Gvir was sworn in last week as part of a new government led by Benjamin Netanyahu that includes far-right and religious parties.
(Production: Ammar Awad, Lee Marzel) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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