In response to Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount together with more than 3,000 Jews, yesterday, Secretary of State Blinken publicly came out claiming that by doing so we, the Jews, are harming the chances of peace and security in the region
World leaders are gravely mistaken if they think appeasing those who threaten Israel will lead to peace. The U.S. vehemently opposed Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount on August 13, framing it as a disregard for the historic status quo and a provocation. This criticism, however, distorts the reality of the situation.
Under the Biden administration, it seems Jews praying at their holiest site is seen as a provocation, rather than the brutal attacks against Israel that sparked this conflict. The focus should be on the Iranian and Qatari-backed violence, which has escalated the conflict, not on Jewish visits to the Temple Mount.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has faced a severe and unprovoked assault from terror groups supported by Iran and Qatar. The international community’s fixation on Ben-Gvir’s visit is not just misguided—it’s dangerous. It diverts attention from the real threats: the ongoing violence perpetrated by Shia and Sunni jihadist groups.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s critique of Ben-Gvir is a red herring. The true issue is the refusal of jihadist elements to accept the Jewish state, not the symbolic act of visiting the Temple Mount. This focus on Jewish worship distracts from the underlying aggression and gives a pass to those seeking Israel’s destruction.
The international community’s attempt to restrict Jewish access to their holy sites only fosters religious discrimination. This approach not only fails to address the root causes of the conflict but emboldens the forces of intolerance and terror. By pushing policies that appease these aggressors, world leaders risk compromising global security.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid’s contradictory stance further complicates the issue. As Prime Minister, he dismissed security concerns and supported Jewish visits to the Temple Mount. Now, he advocates a law to ban Jews from this sacred site altogether, exposing a troubling inconsistency in his position.
The real challenge for the international community and the Biden administration lies in confronting the aggression from Islamic jihadi entities like Iran, Qatar, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Palestinian Authority and rejecting policies that blame Israel and its people for the violence.
Only by understanding and addressing the fundamental threats to Israel’s existence, from an Islamic ideology that does not tolerate it at all, can we move towards genuine peace and stability. Not by supporting religious discrimination against Jews.
Israel must stand firm against these pressures and ensure its sovereignty and security.