Ruckus over Israeli minister's statement on Al-Aqsa Mosque, Hamas made this demand from Arab and Islamic countries

Israel's radical minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that he wants to build a prayer place for Jews inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem. His statement has created a ruckus. The allies of the Israeli government as well as the opposition have expressed anger over this.

Defense Minister Yoav Galant has described Ben-Gvir's statement as dangerous, unnecessary, and irresponsible, while Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid described Ben-Gvir's statement as a sign of the weakness of the Netanyahu government. He said that Netanyahu has proven weak in front of Ben-Gvir. He is unable to control the government.

On Ben Gvir's statement, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's office has said, "There has been no change in the status quo of the Temple Mount (Jews call the Al Aqsa Mosque complex Temple Mount)." Hamas has reacted sharply to this and said that Arab countries and the Organization of Muslim Countries (OIC) should fulfill their responsibilities. Hamas has also appealed to people from Israeli-occupied areas including the West Bank to gather and rally at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Hamas has said that Arab and Islamic nations should take up their responsibilities in protecting Al-Aqsa and its sanctity.

Israeli minister Ben-Gvir has often been involved in such controversies. Earlier on August 14, he entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex with his supporters and prayed, after which many Western countries, including the US, called it an act of provocation. Hamas and Arab countries criticized it a lot. Hamas called Ben-Gvir's visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque a violation of the status quo agreement.

Controversy over Al-Aqsa Mosque

There has been a long-standing dispute between Jews and Muslims over the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In 1967, when Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem, a status quo agreement was reached between Jordan and Israel regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Under this, the responsibility of security outside the mosque was given to Israel, while the supervision of matters inside the mosque was handed over to the Islamic Trust. Jews can go to the premises of the Al-Aqsa Mosque but they are not allowed to worship there.

However, some radical Israeli leaders and their supporters have repeatedly violated these rules and prayed inside the premises of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which has increased the controversy. It is believed that one of the biggest reasons for the dispute between Israel and Palestine is the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Jews call it the Temple Mount, while for Muslims it is the third largest religious site. This is the reason why there has been tension between Jews and Muslims over the Al-Aqsa Mosque for a long time.