JAKARTA - The Israeli minister's visit to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound that sparked international condemnation, including the United States, was seen by the country's former prime minister as an irresponsible move.
Israel's new National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al Aqsa Mosque Complex which in Jewish is called Temple Mount on Tuesday. It immediately received a negative response, was considered 'violating the status quo' and could lead to regional escalation according to the Hezbollah Group.
It also drew scathing criticism from former prime minister Yair Lapid, the leader of the now opposition Yesh Atid Party, highlighting the weaknesses of current leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
"This is what happens when a weak prime minister is forced to entrust the least responsible person in the Middle East to the Middle East's most exploding spot in the Middle East," Lapid wrote on Twitter, as quoted January 4.
"The Israeli state did not accept orders from anyone regarding its security, but fought with half the world just so Ben Gvir spent 13 minutes at Temple Mount was Netanyahu's political irresponsible attitude and extraordinary weakness in front of his ministers," Lapid tweeted again.
מדינת ישראל לא מקבלת תכתיבים מאף אחד לגבי בטחונה, אבל לריב עם חצי עולם רק כדי שבן גביר יבלה 13 דקות על הר הבית זה חוסר אחריות מדיני וחולשה מדהימה של נתניהו מול שריו.
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) January 3, 2023
Separately, the Prime Minister's Office said, "PM Netanyahu is committed to strictly maintaining the status quo," rejecting Hamas' warning from the previous day, that Ben-Gvir's visit would be considered an act of war.
"We will not be dictated by Hamas. Under the status quo, the minister has moved up to Temple Mount in recent years, including public security minister Gilad Erdan. Therefore, claims that changes have been made in the status quo are baseless," Netanyahu's office explained, as reported by The Jerusalem Post January 4.
Ben-Gvir met with PM Netanyahu on Monday evening, explaining his planned visit on Tuesday morning. Likud Party confirmed that after consulting with security agency officials Netanyahu had no objection to Ben-Gvir's trip.
Erdan, who is now Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations in New York, tweeted a photo of himself at Temple Mount from his time as public security minister.
"Israel has maintained the status quo for years, despite discriminating against Jews [and] Christians who can only visit, not pray. Anyone who says differently endangers security (and) stability," he wrote.
It is known, Ben-Gvir, along with many members of PM Netanyahu's new government, believes the status quo must be changed so that Jews can worship on the site.
Meanwhile, PM Netanyahu insisted he would not allow Jewish worship and Ben-Gvir visits in accordance with the status quo.
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