RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the visit by the Israeli far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem.
The ministry said that the national security minister’s visit and prayer at the Al-Aqsa compound on Thursday morning was a clear violation and provocation of the feelings of Muslims worldwide.
Ben-Gvir has repeatedly contested the Israeli government’s longstanding ban on Jewish prayer at the Al-Aqsa compound, which has been a focal point of tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Al-Aqsa compound in the Old City of Jerusalem is Islam’s holiest site after the mosques in Makkah and Madinah and is a symbol of Palestinian national identity.
The Saudi ministry on Thursday also condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ advance in southern Syria after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in early December.
“The continuation of (Israeli) military operations in Syria is an attempt to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security and stability,” the ministry said in a statement.
