US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood spoke on Thursday at the UN Security Council meeting which discussed National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount earlier this week.
In his remarks, Wood said that the Biden administration holds Israel responsible for maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount and is opposed to “unilateral acts that exacerbate tensions or undermine the viability of a two-state solution.”
“Secretary Blinken has said very clearly that it’s absolutely critical for all sides to exercise restraint, refrain from provocative actions and rhetoric, at the Haram Al-Sharif/Temple Mount and other holy sites in Jerusalem, both in word and in practice. In this spirit, we oppose any and all unilateral actions that depart from the historic status quo, which are unacceptable,” said the Deputy Ambassador.
“We note that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s governing platform calls for preservation of the status quo with relation to the holy places. We expect the Government of Israel to follow through on that commitment,” stressed Wood.
He also said that the US urges “both Israelis and Palestinians to take the necessary steps to restore calm, prevent further loss of life, and preserve the possibility of a two-state solution.”
“We must preserve that possibility. And we must ensure all Israelis and Palestinians enjoy equal measures of freedom, justice, security, and prosperity,” he added.
Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount on Tuesday was widely condemned by the Arab world and also by the United States.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at Tuesday's daily briefing, “We are deeply concerned by the visit of the Israeli minister at the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif. This visit has the potential of exacerbating tensions and lead to violence."
A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Israel said that Ambassador Tom Nides “has been very clear in conversations with the Israeli government on the issue of preserving the status quo in Jerusalem’s holy sites. Actions that prevent that are unacceptable.”
Nides himself criticized the Israeli government on Tuesday morning.
Speaking with Axios’ Barak Ravid shortly after Ben Gvir’s visit, Nides protested any perceived changes to the status quo on the Temple Mount.
“To be very clear - we want to preserve status quo and actions that prevent that are unacceptable. We have been very clear in our conversations with the Israeli government on this issue,” he said.