JAKARTA - President Joe Biden's administration denounced Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit to the Temple Mount or Al Aqsa Mosque compound on Tuesday, saying it was unacceptable and created direct friction between Israel's new government and the United States.
"The United States stands firm for the preservation of the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem. We oppose any unilateral actions that undermine the historic status quo. They are unacceptable," said US State Department spokesman Ned Price, cited from The Jerusalem Post, January 4.
He underlined that President Biden's administration expects Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his administration to maintain the status quo.
"We note the fact that the Netanyahu administration's platform calls for the preservation of the historic status quo with regards to holy sites. We hope he follows through on that commitment... in word and practice, that is what we will be watching over," Price said.
Price said US officials had spoken on Tuesday with their Israeli counterparts in the new government, including the Prime Minister's Office, and were similar in substance to what he told reporters.
He further explained that US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have repeatedly "underscored the need to maintain the historic status quo at al-Haram al-Sharif/Tample Mount," Price said.
"We will be very clear in opposing any unilateral steps that undermine the prospects for a two-state solution further back," Price said, adding this also included reducing tensions and avoiding steps that exacerbate violence.
Separately, the Prime Minister's Office said "PM Netanyahu is committed to strictly maintaining the status quo," rejecting Hamas warnings from the previous day that Ben-Gvir's visit would be considered an act of war.
"We will not be dictated to by Hamas. Under the status quo, ministers have ascended to the Temple Mount in recent years, including public security minister Gilad Erdan. Therefore, claims that changes have been made to the status quo are unfounded," Netanyahu's office explained. .
Ben-Gvir, along with many members of PM Netanyahu's new government, believe the status quo should be changed so that Jews can worship at the site.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu has insisted he will not allow Jewish worship and Ben-Gvir's visit according to the status quo.
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As previously reported, Ben-Gvir visited the Al Aqsa Mosque Complex last Tuesday. An Israeli official said the 15-minute visit by Ben-Gvir, a senior member of Netanyahu's new religious-nationalist cabinet, complied with provisions dating back decades to allow non-Muslims to visit on condition they do not pray. Ben-Gvir on this occasion did not approach the mosque.
"Tample Mount is open to all," Ben-Gvir said on Twitter, after yesterday's visit.
Ben-Gvir said freedom of movement would be upheld at the compound, without mentioning freedom of worship.
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