Far-Right MK Aims to Encroach into Al-Aqsa Mosque

By Staff, Agencies

Amid heightened tensions in the “Israeli”-occupied Palestinian territories, far-right MK Itamar Ben Gvir has said he is intending to visit the al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday.

While there is currently no intention by officials to prevent the visit, a situational assessment will take place Wednesday on the matter, according to media reports Monday evening.

The final decision rests with “Israel’ Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, who, after reports emerged of Ben Gvir’s intended visit, received calls from various politicians to prevent it.

In a statement responding to the reports, Ben Gvir said, “Just as I visit the Temple Mount [al-Aqsa Mosque] at the beginning of every [Hebrew] month, I intend to do so this coming Thursday.”

Ben Gvir then lashed out at Shabtai, calling him a “failure,” and Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, whom he called a “leftist,” saying he hopes both “have no intention to disrupt the status quo on the Temple Mount [al-Aqsa Mosque] and lead to an escalation.”

“An attempt to prevent an ‘Israeli’ lawmaker from visiting the site will send a message of capitulation to terrorism and only further stoke the flames,” he charged.

The Religious Zionism lawmaker’s intended visit comes amid heightened tensions following a slew of deadly offensives over the past days, the upcoming Land Day on March 30, and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan next week.

Current intelligence indicates that while the recent deadly offensives were carried out in Bir Saba’ [Beersheba] [last Tuesday] and al-Khedira [Hadera] [on Sunday], al-Quds [Jerusalem] is still a main point of friction, where future terror attacks are more likely to take place.

Channel 12 reported that Shabtai, who has already ordered the call-up of six reserve companies of the Border Police to help try to thwart any further upsurge in terrorism and violence, also is proposing to recruit another 500 police volunteers – all with operational backgrounds.