Russia, the United Kingdom, and China raised on Thursday concerns about the situation in occupied Palestine over Ben-Gvir’s storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque during an emergency meeting held by the United Nations Security Council.
UNSC held an emergency meeting to discuss Ben-Gvir’s storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque Following a request submitted by China and the United Arab Emirates UAE.
The session was opened by the representative of the United Arab Emirates, who expressed his condemnation of “the serious provocations that threaten the Al Aqsa Mosque, and the storming of the mosque by an Israeli minister under the protection of Israeli forces.”
Vasily Alekseyevich Nebenzya, the Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, pointed out that Ben-Gvir’s storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque is an outrageous incident that cannot be viewed in isolation from the events that took place in the year 2000 after Ariel Sharon stormed Al-Aqsa, sparked the Second Palestinian Intifada.
Nebenzya renewed his country’s refusal of any changes to the current status quo of Jerusalem as the motherland of the three monotheistic religions, calling on Israel to stop confiscating Palestinian property and displacing Palestinians.
In addition, China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun called on all parties concerned to exercise restraint to prevent escalation of tensions in Jerusalem, adding that “Israel, in particular, should stop provocation and unilateral actions vis-a-vis the historic status quo of the holy sites”.
UK’s Ambassador Barbara Woodward said the United Kingdom strongly supports the historic Status Quo governing Jerusalem’s holy sites, which protects the sites and those who worship there, and preserves peace.
“The UK also recognizes and values Jordan’s important role as custodian of the holy sites and urges the importance of cooperation with the Jordanian authorities in this regard,” she added.
“The UK is committed to working with all parties to uphold this Status Quo in Jerusalem. All parties must avoid actions which inflame tensions, undermine the cause of peace, or unilaterally seek to alter the Status Quo.”
Ben-Gvir’s storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque triggers wide criticism and condemnation from several Arab and International nations. Ben-Gvir is considered the first Israeli minister to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque since 2017.
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