Ben-Gvir enters Al-Aqsa compound as Palestinian businesses close
The Jerusalem governorate put the number of Israeli entrants at about 900 during Sukkot; Palestinian officials condemned the visit.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir joined hundreds of Israelis entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem under police protection on Monday, during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
The Jerusalem governorate said about 900 people entered that morning. It also said Israeli forces closed streets and intersections around the Old City leading to the compound. The estimate has not been independently verified.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said dozens of Palestinian shopkeepers in the Cotton Merchants Market were forced to close during the holiday to make way for Jewish prayers. The report also said residents near the mosque were required to remain inside their homes.
Ben-Gvir said Israelis were “the owners of the place” and that they had prayed at Al-Aqsa. The site is also known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh condemned the entry as a dangerous provocation. Israeli police have allowed groups of Israelis to enter the compound since 2003, except on Fridays and Saturdays; restrictions are often imposed on Palestinian worshippers, according to the report.
