Saudi Arabia strongly criticized Israel’s hard-liner Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir this Tuesday for his latest remarks on calling to build a synagogue at Al-Aqsa mosque.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry issued a statement this Tuesday strongly rebuking recent remarks by Israel’s far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir who had called on Monday to build a synagogue at Al-Aqsa mosque.
Despite Israel’s longstanding ban on Jews praying at Al-Aqsa mosque, Ben-Gvir told Army Radio on Monday that if it were possible, he would build a synagogue at the Al-Aqsa compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
“If I could do anything I wanted, I would put an Israeli flag on the site,” Ben-Gvir said Monday. Asked several times by a journalist if he would build a synagogue at the site if it were up to him, he replied: “Yes.”
Condemning the extremist and provocative moves by Ben-Gvir, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry also reiterated “the need to respect the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque,” the statement read.
The statement also renewed Saudi Arabia’s call on the international community to assume its responsibilities and put an end to the Palestinian humanitarian catastrophe, and activate serious mechanisms to hold Israeli officials accountable for the ongoing violations of international laws, norms and resolutions.
Ben-Gvir has a tendency to break the law!
The Al-Aqsa mosque is known as the third holiest site in Islam and a symbol of Palestinian identity as well. It is also considered by Jews to be the site of the First and Second Temples – the latter destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
Under the law maintained by Israeli authorities, Jews and other non-Muslims are not allowed to pray in the compound or display religious symbols, but they are only permitted to visit the compound in occupied East Jerusalem during specified hours.
Riyadh hosts Palestine’s Abbas
meanwhile as Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry lashed out at Israel for Ben-Gvir’s provocative move on Monday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh the same day on Monday for an official visit with Saudi officials, including with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
This is the second time Abbas pays a visit to Saudi Arabia since the start of Israel’s devastating onslaught against the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7 last year.
