In a written statement from the OIC, it was stated that Ben Gvir’s raid was part of Israel’s attempt to change the historical and legal status quo of Masjid al-Aqsa.
In the statement, it was noted that the OIC sees the Israeli extremist Minister’s raid on Harem-i Sharif as a provocation to the feelings of Muslims and a clear violation of international law and United Nations resolutions.
The statement also added that the Israeli government is entirely responsible for the consequences of such violations that continue in occupied East Jerusalem.
Ben-Gvir’s provocative Masjid al-Aqsa raid
Israel’s far-right Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, had entered the Haram-i-Sharif in the early hours of the morning under his special guards and the intense protection of the Israeli forces.
Ben-Gvir entered Masjid al-Aqsa on January 3, days after he took office, and with this action, he became the first Israeli Minister on duty to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque 5 years later.
This raid by Israeli far-right Minister Ben-Gvir was met with reaction in the occupied Palestinian territories and escalated the tension.
There were reactions against Ben-Gvir’s provocative action from Western countries, including the US, as well as the Palestinian administration and Muslim countries.
The sovereignty of the Islamic Foundations Authority of Jerusalem is violated
Masjid al-Aqsa, located in East Jerusalem under Israeli occupation, is under the auspices of the Jerusalem Islamic Foundations Administration, which is affiliated to the Jordanian Ministry of Foundations, Islamic Affairs and Holiness, according to the peace treaty signed between Israel and Jordan on October 26, 1994.
However, these raids became more and more frequent, especially in 2022, as Jews entered the holy shrine with police escort without the permission of the Islamic Foundations Administration since 2003, with the unilateral decision of Israel and the initiatives of some Zionist organizations.
According to the data of the Islamic Foundations Administration, which announced that last year was the most prominent year in terms of violations against Masjid al-Aqsa, more than 48 thousand Jewish fanatics raided Masjid al-Aqsa throughout 2022.