Qatar called for urgent firm action to compel Israel to stop its violations and halt its move to ‘Judaise Jerusalem’.
The provocative visit to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem by a far-right Israeli minister, which has infuriated Palestine, the Middle East, and nations beyond the area, will be discussed at a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting.
Following a request by the United Arab Emirates and China, the 15-member council will meet on Thursday at the United Nations headquarters in New York to discuss Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s controversial visit to the grounds of the third-holiest shrine in Islam.
“The Temple Mount is open to all,” Ben-Gvir said on Twitter, using the Jewish name for the site. The minister was seen in video footage going around the perimeter of the compound while being accompanied by another Orthodox Jew and protected by a strong Israeli security force.
The zionist state’s new national security minister visited the Al Aqsa compound on Tuesday despite warnings that the action would cause turmoil, triggering a barrage of criticism from nations around the world. There have been worries that his visit could escalate tensions.
The third holiest site in Islam is the Al Aqsa Mosque, which is located in East Jerusalem that has been occupied by the Israeli regime. Jews refer to the region as the Temple Mount and claim that two Jewish temples formerly stood there.
Tensions rose after a group of Jewish settlers staged obscene dances and carried out Talmudic rituals in the Old City and close to Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday evening, according to the Palestinian Information Centre.
To defend the illegal settlers’ march, a sizeable contingent of Israel police forces were stationed in the Old City’s alleyways. Fistfights broke out as Israeli soldiers targeted Palestinians in the vicinity of Bab Hatta.
According to WAFA News Agency, reports said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas indicated he will seek a Security Council rebuke of the minister’s visit.
Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres, urged on Wednesday that the Secretary General “calls on all to refrain from steps that could escalate tensions in and around Jerusalem.”
A representative for the White House National Security Council responded to questions about the visit by stating that any unilateral action that threatens the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem is unacceptable, saying that “the United States stands firmly for preservation of the status quo with respect to the holy site in Jerusalem,” reports said.
“It is the international community that decides the fate of defending and protecting the historic status quo in Jerusalem in the defence of the Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem,” Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said, according to reports.
“We will not be satisfied with beautiful statements which will be uttered tomorrow in the Security Council. We want them to be implemented in a concrete way,” Mansour stated.
Doha calls for ‘firm’ and prompt response
On Wednesday, Qatar made a plea for “firm” action from the international community in response to ongoing Israeli provocations at the Al Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.
In a statement, the Qatari Cabinet renewed Doha’s call on the international community “to take urgent and firm action to compel Israel to stop its violations and provocations, and implement the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly.”
It also warned against “Israeli practices desecrating the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque, Judaising Jerusalem, changing its legal and historical status quo, expanding settlements, and the constant daily brutal attacks on Palestinians.”
Meanwhile, top Turkish and Qatari diplomats echoed similar sentiments during a call on Wednesday.
Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed Tuesday’s “raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque and recent developments in Syria and Afghanistan,” said the Turkish Foreign Ministry, according to reports.
UNSC ‘double standards’
The UN Security Council is composed of 15 Members, five of which are permanent members, including China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the US. The remaining ten are non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly.
Last year, the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution that condemned Israel for its war crimes and breaches of human rights, after 275 civilians, including 61 children and 35 women, were killed.
During Israel’s deadly bombardment on Gaza, some 94 buildings, including 40 schools, numerous hospitals, and more, were destroyed. The attacks, which lasted 11 days, resulted in the displacement of 72,000 individuals.
However, both the US and Council faced scrutiny and allegations of double standards after Washington introduced a dozen emergency resolutions, called for urgent Security Council meetings, and started taking military action against Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Washington, which has frequently denounced Russia’s use of veto power, has used this right 82 times in the past to come to Tel Aviv’s defence. Out of them, 43 were directed at defending and justifying Israel’s aggression, according to reports.
