The United Arab Emirates on Thursday condemned the visit to the Temple Mount by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who visited the compound on the fast of Tisha B’Av.
In a statement quoted by the UAE’s official WAM news agency, the UAE’s Foreign Minister condemned what it described as the “storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque” by Ben Gvir and of “extremists under the protection of the Israeli police.”
The Foreign Ministry “reaffirmed the UAE's firm position on the need to provide full protection for Al-Aqsa Mosque, and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there."
It also “underscored the need to respect the custodial role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan over the holy sites in accordance with international law and the historical context at hand, and not to compromise the authority of the Jerusalem Endowment Administration that manages the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
The UAE Foreign Ministry “called upon Israeli authorities to halt escalation and avoid exacerbating tension and instability in the region, affirming the UAE's rejection of all practices that violate resolutions on international legitimacy and threaten further escalation.”
“Moreover, the Ministry stressed the need to support all regional and international efforts to advance the peace process in the Middle East, end illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the statement concluded.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry earlier on Thursday also condemned Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount, saying, "We warn of the dangerous consequences in allowing extremists to visit the Temple Mount and allowing them to carry out provocations under the security of Israel Police."
"This ascent by the Minister, together with actions at the site by extremists, constitutes a provocative violation and a violation of international law and the historical status quo in Jerusalem. Continuation of the unilateral steps by Israel, together with the ongoing violations of the status quo, threatens to disrupt the [current] situation and [create] additional circles of violence."
The Palestinian Authority condemned the visit as well, saying, "The fascist Israeli minister Ben Gvir's storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, together with extremists who are his followers," saying that it is "an official Israeli cover-up for the ongoing invasions" and a "plan to Judaize Al-Aqsa Mosque."
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry also condemned "the invasion of Minister Ben Gvir and a group of settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque," adding that, "Israel bears responsibility for the consequences."