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Hardliner in Netanyahu's new right-wing religious cabinet: Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir
Photo: Atef Safadi / dpa
The visit of Israel's new security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem has sparked global outrage.
Now the federal government has also clearly criticized the gesture.
"Yesterday's visit is a provocation, and that's why we clearly reject this approach," emphasized a spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin.
He also warned against unilateral moves that would jeopardize the historical status quo on the Temple Mount.
The federal government expects the new Israeli government to commit to the tried and tested practice at the holy sites and to put a stop to further deliberate provocations.
The USA had also spoken out clearly against changing the status quo in the past few days.
The Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam.
But it is also sacred to Jews because there used to be two Jewish temples there.
The holy hill is under Muslim administration while Israel is in charge of security.
According to an agreement with the Muslim authorities, Jews can visit the facility but not pray there.
However, riots often occur.
Ben-Gvir had described the applicable regulation as racist and discriminatory, he even spoke of »apartheid«.
His visit to the Temple Mount, seen particularly as a provocation by Palestinians, has been compared to a similar gesture by former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2000.
At that time he visited the Temple Mount as opposition leader in the middle of the election campaign and thus triggered the second Intifada.
A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel on Wednesday night failed.
Ben-Gvir of the far-right Ozma Jehudit had previously been convicted of racist hate speech and supporting a Jewish terrorist organization.
He is considered a political arsonist, especially with regard to the Palestinians.
He is part of Benjamin Netanyahu's new right-wing religious government, which was sworn in last Thursday in Israel.
col/dpa