Israel reacted to a statement made by 14 countries, guaranteeing the maintenance of current rules regarding the Mosque Platform, also known as the Temple Mount by Jews, the location where the two holy temples were situated.
The current status quo of this holy site was established in 1967 by the Israeli government, which granted administration to the Waqf, a Jordanian institution. The Waqf stipulated that worship there is restricted to Muslims, allowing Jews to visit only as tourists.
At the end of July, during the celebration of Tisha B'Av, more than 3,000 Jews accessed the holy site. They were escorted by the Israeli police and accompanied by the far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who advocates that Israel should take control of the Temple Mount.
In a statement, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) asserted that the declaration supported by the Foreign Ministries of the Arab Ministerial Committee, convened by Jordan, is based on false allegations, historical distortions, and complete ignorance of the facts.
The ministry deemed the accusation that Israel violates freedom of worship 'cynical,' especially when it is stated that the entire Temple Mount (where Al-Aqsa is located) is an exclusive place of worship for Muslims, disregarding the historical connection of Jews with Jerusalem and its holy sites.
The Israeli MFA continued in the statement by saying that under Israeli sovereignty, Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the State of Israel, has never been so accessible and open to believers of all faiths.
This status quo was defined after the Six-Day War, a period during which Israel occupied East Jerusalem, the Palestinian portion of the city, which would be annexed in 1980.
Jordan summoned the foreign ministers of Islamic countries on that day in response to the increase in mass invasions by Israeli settlers and far-right Jewish leaders at the holy site, including the incursion mentioned at the end of last month.
These practices, described as 'increasingly serious and illegal,' occur frequently despite condemnations from Jordan and the rest of the Muslim world. Islamic countries denounce that these reports are ignored by Israeli authorities and constitute a 'provocation.'
For this reason, the final declaration calls for the initiation of an initiative to force the international community to compel Israel, as an occupying power, to respect the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, while appealing to the UN Security Council to take 'immediate measures' against Israel.