Israel’s prime minister says he “will not give in to Hamas’ orders” after wave of international criticism
MADRID, 3 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has stressed on Tuesday his commitment to maintaining the ‘status quo’ in the Esplanade of the Mosques in the face of international criticism for the visit to the place by the new Minister of National Security of Israel, Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party.
Netanyahu’s office has indicated that it will work to “strictly protect the ‘status quo’ on the Temple Mount — the name by which Jews know the place — without change,” The Times of Israel reported. ‘.
Likewise, he has insisted that Israel “will not surrender to the orders of Hamas”, in reference to the group’s warnings against a visit to the place, and has recalled that other ministers have made visits in the past to the Esplanade of the Mosques.
“The claim that there has been a change in the ‘status quo’ is unfounded,” he said. Hours before, Ben Gvir himself had defended his visit, criticized by the Palestinian Authority and other countries, including the United States.
Netanyahu himself affirmed last week during the presentation of the main lines of his government that “the ‘status quo’ in matters of religion and State will be maintained, as it has been accepted for decades in Israel, including in relation to the Sacred places”. On the other hand, he noted that “the Jewish people have the exclusive and unquestionable right to all areas in the Land of Israel” and that they will push for the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and “work to reinforce the status of Jerusalem.”
The ‘status quo’ in the Esplanade of the Mosques prevents Jews from praying in the Esplanade of the Mosques and only authorizes them to visit the place at predetermined times and to travel through a fixed route, accompanied by policemen who must ensure that the faithful do not pray or introduce Israeli flags or religious objects.
Israel took control of the Temple Mount and the rest of the Old City of Jerusalem during the Six Day War (1967). However, it allowed Jordan to continue to maintain religious authority at the site and, under the peace agreement, recognized Jordan’s “special role” over “Muslim holy places in Jerusalem.”
Israel considers Jerusalem its “indivisible” capital, although the status of the city is pending a peace agreement with the Palestinian authorities, who claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a state on the 1967 borders as part of a peace settlement. two states backed by the international community, which also calls for no changes to the ‘status quo’.
