Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir sparked a backlash on Monday by saying that he wanted to build a synagogue on the Al-Asqa Mosque compound in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem.
Al-Aqsa, known to the Israelis as Temple Mount, is one of the holiest sites of Islam. “If I could do what I wanted, a synagogue would also be established on the Temple Mount,” Ben Gvir told Israel’s Army Radio. “If I were to say that Muslims are not allowed to pray, you would kill me.”
Under the decades-old status quo at al-Aqsa, non-Muslims can visit the site but cannot pray there. Over the past two months, Ben Gvir made three provocative visits to al-Aqsa and declared Jewish prayer was allowed, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue statements saying the status quo hasn’t changed.
Netanyahu’s office issued another statement following Ben Gvir’s comments on Monday, saying there “is no change to the status quo on the Temple Mount.”
Members of Netanyahu’s coalition government also denounced Ben Gvir’s actions, including Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, a member of the Haredi Shas party. He said Ben Gvir could hurt Israel’s efforts to build an anti-Iran alliance with Muslim nations.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu must promptly rein in Mr Ben Gvir regarding his Temple Mount statements this morning. His reckless words jeopardize Israel’s strategic alliances with Muslim nations, which form a crucial coalition against the Iranian axis of evil. His lack of judgment could have bloody consequences,” Arbel said.
Al-Aqsa is believed to be the site of the two ancient Jewish temples. Some Orthodox Jewish traditions teach that a third temple will be built in the time of the messiah and that animal sacrifices will be reinstated as a form of worship.
Al-Aqsa and the rules around it are one of the most sensitive issues between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The Palestinians view any change of the status quo as a sign that Israel could be moving to take over the mosque, which is the third holiest site in Islam.
Israeli police raids on al-Aqsa were a major motivation for Hamas’s attack on southern Israel, which was named al-Aqsa Flood. A source close to Hamas told Reuters back in October 2023: “It was triggered by scenes and footage of Israel storming al-Aqsa mosque during Ramadan, beating worshippers, attacking them, dragging elderly and young men out of the mosque. All this fuelled and ignited the anger.”
Yep, the Synagogue of Satan….
Call it what you will but it is becoming more & more obvious to ALL people that we are dealing with pure evil. No “belief system” or unrealistic man-made “moral code” is required to understand this. Just being in touch with your Natural innate sense of “good” & “bad” is all that’s required.