Arab Nations Condemn Israeli Minister’s Visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on April 2, 2025, has ignited outrage in the Arab world, being seen as a provocative act amid ongoing tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The visit, criticized by international bodies and even some Israeli officials, threatens the fragile status quo.
hassan benyoub 
Jerusalem, April 2, 2025 – Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a prominent far-right figure, visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on Wednesday, sparking widespread outrage across the Arab world. The site, located in a sector occupied and annexed by Israel, is a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Ben Gvir’s visit—the first since his return to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on March 19—has reignited tensions.
A Provocative Visit
Ben Gvir, who rejoined Netanyahu’s cabinet after quitting in January over a Gaza truce with Hamas, has visited the contested site at least eight times since the government’s formation in late 2022. Wednesday’s visit followed a 13-day period during which non-Muslims were barred from the compound due to the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr celebrations. A spokesperson for Ben Gvir explained the timing: “He went because the site reopened [to non-Muslims] today.”
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site, sits atop the ruins of the Second Jewish Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. Known to Jews as the Temple Mount—the holiest site in Judaism—it remains a deeply symbolic and disputed location. While Israel’s rabbinate forbids Jews from entering to avoid desecrating the sacred ground, Ben Gvir has repeatedly used his visits to assert Israeli sovereignty, a stance that has drawn global condemnation.
Arab and International Backlash
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group locked in an 18-month war with Israel in Gaza, labeled the visit a “dangerous escalation” and a “provocation.” Jordan, which administers the compound under a post-1967 status quo agreement, called it an “unacceptable provocation” and a “violation of Al-Aqsa’s sanctity.” The status quo permits non-Muslims to visit at specific times but prohibits prayer—a rule increasingly flouted by nationalist Jews, including Ben Gvir, who famously breached it in August 2024 while serving as the minister responsible for its enforcement.
Saudi Arabia, a key player in the Muslim world and a potential partner in Netanyahu’s normalization efforts, “strongly condemned” the visit. Egypt went further, decrying a “flagrant violation of international law” and warning that Israel’s “extremist measures” regarding Al-Aqsa are “a major source of regional instability.” The United Nations, which does not recognize Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem, has consistently criticized attempts to alter the status quo unilaterally.
Domestic Criticism
Even within Israel, the visit stirred dissent. Moshe Gafni, a lawmaker from the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party—a member of Netanyahu’s coalition—slammed Ben Gvir’s actions. Writing on X, Gafni argued: “This doesn’t prove your sovereignty; it desecrates a holy site and sparks unnecessary conflict with the Muslim world and beyond.”
A History of Tension
Ben Gvir’s latest move comes amid heightened scrutiny of Israel’s policies in East Jerusalem. The Al-Aqsa compound, home to the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, is controlled by Israeli security forces but managed by Jordan under the fragile status quo. Each breach of this arrangement—particularly by high-profile figures like Ben Gvir—risks escalating tensions in an already volatile region.
As Arab capitals and international bodies voice their disapproval, the visit underscores the delicate balance of religious, political, and territorial claims at the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City, with ripple effects felt far beyond its ancient walls.
