Back to the complete issue
Wednesday, 4 January 2023

Israel’s new security minister courts controversy with al-Aqsa visit

Fuel on the fire: Israel’s new far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, sparked controversy with a visit to the al-Aqsa Mosque flanked by security forces yesterday, triggering condemnation from the Palestinians and several Arab countries, according to the BBC. Ben-Gvir’s visit to the site, his first public act after only five days in the government, was denounced by the Palestinian Foreign Ministry as an “unprecedented provocation and a dangerous escalation of the conflict.”

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry expressed “regret” that “extremist elements” entered the holy site and called on all sides not to escalate tensions in a statement. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar also criticized the act.

History lesson: The second Intifada in 2000 kicked off after former Israeli leader Ariel Sharon visited the compound.

Enterprise is a daily publication of Enterprise Ventures LLC, an Egyptian limited liability company (commercial register 83594), and a subsidiary of Inktank Communications. Summaries are intended for guidance only and are provided on an as-is basis; kindly refer to the source article in its original language prior to undertaking any action. Neither Enterprise Ventures nor its staff assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, whether in the form of summaries or analysis. © 2022 Enterprise Ventures LLC.

Enterprise is available without charge thanks to the generous support of HSBC Egypt (tax ID: 204-901-715), the leading corporate and retail lender in Egypt; EFG Hermes (tax ID: 200-178-385), the leading financial services corporation in frontier emerging markets; SODIC (tax ID: 212-168-002), a leading Egyptian real estate developer; SomaBay (tax ID: 204-903-300), our Red Sea holiday partner; Infinity (tax ID: 474-939-359), the ultimate way to power cities, industries, and homes directly from nature right here in Egypt; CIRA (tax ID: 200-069-608), the leading providers of K-12 and higher level education in Egypt; Orascom Construction (tax ID: 229-988-806), the leading construction and engineering company building infrastructure in Egypt and abroad; Moharram & Partners (tax ID: 616-112-459), the leading public policy and government affairs partner; Palm Hills Developments (tax ID: 432-737-014), a leading developer of commercial and residential properties; Mashreq (tax ID: 204-898-862), the MENA region’s leading homegrown personal and digital bank; Industrial Development Group (IDG) (tax ID:266-965-253), the leading builder of industrial parks in Egypt; Hassan Allam Properties (tax ID:  553-096-567), one of Egypt’s most prominent and leading builders; and Saleh, Barsoum & Abdel Aziz (tax ID: 220-002-827), the leading audit, tax and accounting firm in Egypt.