Israel has banned visits by Jews and tourists to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after a wave of unrest in the holy city of Jerusalem until the end of Ramzan.
A statement issued by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant & National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir completed a comprehensive assessment with heads of the security services on the security situation in Israel, including Judea and Samaria, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.”
It was decided to prevent Jewish visitors and tourists from entering the Temple Mount until the end of Ramzan, “based on the unanimous recommendation of Defense Minister and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, and police chief Yaakov Shabtai.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said, in a statement to his office, that “the prime minister’s decision is a grave mistake that will not bring calm, but may only lead to an escalation of the situation.”
He added that the absence of Jews in Al-Aqsa Mosque “will lead to a reduction in the remaining police force in the place, which will create a fertile ground for huge demonstrations to incite the killing of Jews, and even the scenario of throwing stones at Jewish worshipers at the Western Wall.”
Earlier on Tuesday, 788 Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, under heavy police protection, on the occasion of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Since last week, occupied Jerusalem has been witnessing tension after the Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque at night, and prevented worshipers from performing Itikaf in it.
Settlement groups called for large-scale storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque on the occasion of the Jewish Passover holiday, which continues until Wednesday.
The repeated storming of Al-Aqsa led to security tension and clashes throughout the Palestinian territories and the Arab regions of Israel.
