Ben-Gvir showed 'blatant disregard' for holy sites in Jerusalem: Blinken

WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem by radical Israelis, including a minister.

"The United States strongly opposes Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount on August 13, which demonstrated blatant disregard for the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem," Blinken said in a statement Tuesday.

His remarks came after some 2,250 illegal Israeli settlers as well as Ben-Gvir, his fellow Otzma Yehudit party Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Knesset member of the Likud party Amit Halevi stormed the complex to commemorate Tisha B'Av, an annual Jewish fasting day.

"These provocative actions only exacerbate tensions at a pivotal moment when all focus should be on the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire agreement and secure the release of all hostages and create the conditions for broader regional stability," Blinken added.

Stressing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has made clear that the actions of Ben-Gvir are "inconsistent" with Israeli policy, Blinken said the US will look to the Israeli government to prevent similar incidents in the future.

"The United States reaffirms our commitment to the preservation of the historic status quo and will continue to oppose unilateral steps that are counterproductive to achieving peace and stability and undermine Israel’s security," he added.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third-holiest site in Islam. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, believing it to be the location of two ancient Jewish temples.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. In 1980, Israel annexed the entire city, a move that has never been recognized by the international community.