00:19A fresh controversy is erupting in Jerusalem as Israel's far-right national security minister,
00:27Itamar Ben-Gvir, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during Jerusalem Day celebrations,
00:34triggering outrage across the Arab world.
00:57Here I am from Israel in the Arab world.
01:00In the last few years, what we learned is the first thing.
01:06We don't need to pray. We don't need to pray.
01:09We will give you the name of the Arab world.
01:13The visit happened on May 14, 2026, as thousands of Israeli nationalists gathered for the annual Jerusalem Day flag march
01:24through the Old City.
01:26And this time, the tensions were immediate.
01:30Ben-Gvir entered the compound under heavy police protection, accompanied by supporters.
01:35Videos and images from the site showed him waving an Israeli flag, posing for photographs, and joining supporters in songs
01:44and dances.
01:45He later posted statements declaring, quote,
01:48The Temple Mount is in our hands, echoing the language used after Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six
01:57-Day War.
01:59That phrase alone ignited fierce backlash.
02:03For Palestinians, Muslims, and several Arab nations, the Al-Aqsa compound is not just a religious site.
02:11It is one of the most sensitive political and spiritual flashpoints in the world.
02:16Known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, the site houses the Al-Aqsa
02:25Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
02:27It is the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest site in Judaism.
02:33Since 1967, a delicate status quo arrangement has governed the compound.
02:39Under that system, the Jordanian Islamic Waqqaf administers the religious affairs of the site, while Israel controls overall security and
02:49access.
02:50Jewish visitors are allowed during specific hours, but non-Muslim prayer at the site is generally restricted to avoid escalation
02:59and violence.
03:00That is why displays of Israeli sovereignty, especially by senior ministers, are viewed by Palestinians, Jordan, and much of the
03:10Arab world as direct provocations.
03:13The controversy intensified further during the Jerusalem Day flag march itself.
03:19Reports from multiple outlets, including Israeli media, noted some nationalist marchers chanting slogans like death to Arabs and may your
03:30village burn.
03:31Palestinian residents in parts of the Old City reportedly faced restrictions, heavy police deployment, and tense confrontations during the march.
03:41Critics argue the scenes reflected growing extremism inside sections of Israeli nationalist politics.
03:49And Ben Gvir is no stranger to controversy.
03:52The far-right minister has made several visits to the compound in recent years, repeatedly calling for expanded Jewish prayer
04:01rites at the site.
04:02Supporters describe him as defending Jewish access and sovereignty in Jerusalem, but opponents warn that these visits risk destabilizing one
04:13of the world's most explosive religious flashpoints.
04:17The reaction from the Arab world was swift.
04:19The Arab League condemned the visit, calling it a dangerous provocation and accusing Israel of attempting to Judaize Jerusalem and
04:29alter the character of the holy site.
04:32Jordan, which maintains historic custodianship over Muslim holy places in Jerusalem, also condemned the visit, saying it violated the status
04:42quo agreement.
04:43Egypt and several other regional governments issued similar statements.
04:48At the heart of the controversy lies one unresolved question.
04:53Who controls Jerusalem's holiest spaces?
04:56And what happens when religion, nationalism, and politics collide in one of the world's most contested cities?
05:04And once again, Al-Aqsa has become the center of that global storm.
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