JAKARTA - Jewish visitors and tourists will be barred from entering the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem until the end of Ramadan, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.
Entry of Jewish visitors and tourists will be prohibited "until the end of Ramadan on the unanimous recommendation of the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Armed Forces, the Head of the Shin Bet, and the Commissioner of Police," the office said, reported by The National News, April 12.
This decision was taken following a meeting held between PM Netanyahu and senior officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
In Islam, the last 10 days of the Holy Month of Ramadan are the preferred time to pray a lot in the mosque, including Palestinian Muslims who do it at the Al Aqsa Mosque.
In previous years, Israel has banned Jewish visitors from entering the compound in the last 10 days of Ramadan.
It is known that Jews are allowed to visit the site, which is revered by both Muslims and Jews, but are not allowed to worship there under a long-standing agreement between the two sides.
The increasing number of visits by Jews to the mosque compound in recent years has sparked outrage, especially since some Jews are often seen praying at the compound.
This year's rare convergence of Ramadan and Easter, which brought dozens of Jews to the site last week, sparked tensions that led to riots in Jerusalem and across the region.
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Minister Ben-Gvir described the move as a "serious mistake that will not bring peace, but can only escalate the situation".
Meanwhile, global criticism increased after violence between police and Palestinians inside Islam's third holiest site during Easter and Ramadan this month.
Israeli police raids on the site last week sparked rocket attacks against Israel from Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. Israeli forces retaliated with attacks.
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