Ben-Gvir, a West Financial institution settler chief who attracts inspiration from a racist rabbi, entered the positioning identified to Jews because the Temple Mount and to Muslims because the Noble Sanctuary flanked by a big contingent of law enforcement officials. His plans to go to, introduced earlier within the week, had drawn threats from Gaza’s Hamas militant group.

“The Israeli authorities gained’t give up to a murderous group, to a vile terrorist group,” Ben-Gvir, identified for his anti-Arab rhetoric and provocative stunts, mentioned in a video clip taken through the go to.

Describing the Temple Mount as “crucial place for the Jewish individuals,” he decried what he referred to as “racist discrimination” in opposition to Jewish visits to the positioning. With the Dome of the Rock within the background and waving his fingers on the digital camera, he mentioned the visits would proceed.

The positioning is the holiest web site in Judaism, residence to the traditional biblical Temples. In the present day, it homes the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest web site in Islam. Since Israel captured the positioning in 1967, Jews have been allowed to go to however not pray there.

Ben-Gvir has lengthy referred to as for larger Jewish entry to the holy web site. Palestinians contemplate the mosque a nationwide image and look at such visits as provocative and as a possible precursor to Israel seizing management over the compound. Most rabbis forbid Jews from praying on the positioning, however there was a rising motion in recent times of Jews who help worship there.

The positioning has been the scene of frequent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli safety forces, most not too long ago in April final 12 months.

Though Tuesday’s go to handed with out incident, U.S. Ambassador Tom Nides mentioned he “has been very clear in conversations with the Israeli authorities on the difficulty of preserving the established order in Jerusalem’s holy websites. Actions that forestall which are unacceptable.”

The United Arab Emirates, which established full diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, “strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard by an Israeli minister below the safety of Israeli forces.” It referred to as on Israel to “halt critical and provocative violations going down there.”

Bahrain, which additionally acknowledged Israel on the similar time, didn’t instantly acknowledge the incident.

Saudi Arabia, a robust Arab nation with which Netanyahu hopes to determine related ties, condemned the Israeli minister’s motion, as did statements from Kuwait and Qatar. Not one of the three nations have official diplomatic ties with Israel.

Turkey, which solely not too long ago re-established full diplomatic ties with Israel, condemned what it mentioned was “the provocative motion” by Ben-Gvir. It urged Israel “to behave responsibly,” saying such visits might “trigger an escalation within the area.”

Israel’s neighbor Jordan, which acts as custodian of the contested shrine, condemned Ben-Gvir’s go to “within the strongest phrases” and summoned Israel’s ambassador to lodge a protest.

Egypt, one other key Arab ally of Israel’s, warned in opposition to “unfavourable repercussions of such measures on safety and stability within the occupied territories and the area, and on the way forward for the peace course of.”

Tensions on the disputed compound have fueled previous rounds of violence. A go to by then-opposition chief Ariel Sharon in September 2000 helped spark clashes that grew to become the second Palestinian rebellion. Clashes between Israeli safety forces and Palestinian demonstrators in and across the web site fueled an 11-day warfare with Hamas in 2021.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem mentioned Ben-Gvir’s go to was “a continuation of the Zionist’s occupation aggression on our sacred locations and warfare on our Arab identification.”

“Our Palestinian individuals will proceed defending their holy locations and Al Aqsa Mosque,” he mentioned.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, which fought Israel in a monthlong warfare in 2006, mentioned the go to threatened to “blow up the area.”

Responding to the outcry, Netanyahu late Tuesday mentioned Israel stays dedicated to “strictly sustaining the established order” on the web site. “The declare {that a} change has been made in the established order is with out basis.”

Netanyahu returned to workplace final week for his sixth time period as prime minister, main essentially the most spiritual, right-wing authorities within the nation’s historical past. Its targets embrace increasing West Financial institution settlements and annexing the occupied territory.

Israel captured the Previous Metropolis of Jerusalem, with its holy websites to a few monotheistic faiths, together with the remainder of east Jerusalem, the West Financial institution and the Gaza Strip within the 1967 Mideast warfare. The Palestinians search these territories for a future unbiased state, with east Jerusalem as capital. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a transfer unrecognized by many of the worldwide neighborhood and considers the town its undivided, everlasting capital.

The competing claims to the positioning lie on the coronary heart of the Israeli-Palestinian battle.

Ben-Gvir is head of the ultranationalist spiritual Jewish Energy faction and has a historical past of inflammatory remarks and actions in opposition to Palestinians. He was as soon as convicted of incitement and supporting a Jewish terrorist group, however in his new job now instructions Israel’s police drive.

A day earlier, opposition chief Yair Lapid, who till final week was Israel’s prime minister, warned that Ben-Gvir’s meant go to would “result in violence that may endanger human lives and value human lives.”

His go to got here following months of mounting tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

Early on Tuesday, Palestinian officers mentioned a 15-year-old boy was killed by Israeli military fireplace close to the occupied West Financial institution metropolis of Bethlehem. The Israeli army mentioned its forces had shot at individuals throwing firebombs towards troops.

On Monday, the Israeli rights group B’Tselem mentioned 2022 was the deadliest 12 months for Palestinians since 2004, a interval of intense violence that got here throughout a Palestinian rebellion. It mentioned almost 150 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fireplace within the West Financial institution and east Jerusalem.

The Israeli army has been conducting near-daily raids into Palestinian cities and cities since a spate of Palestinian assaults in opposition to Israelis killed 19 final spring. A recent wave of assaults killed at the least one other 9 Israelis within the fall.

The Israeli military says many of the Palestinians killed have been militants. However stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and others not concerned in confrontations have additionally been killed.

Related Press writers Jon Gambrell in Rome, Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.