Netanyahu backs Ben-Gvir’s push for Jewish prayer at Haram Al-Sharif, risking regional unrest

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly endorsed controversial policy changes at Haram Al-Sharif, backing far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in moves that undermine decades-old arrangements governing worship at one of the most sensitive religious sites in the world. Speaking on Sunday, Netanyahu confirmed that recent changes allowing Jewish prayer at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound were carried out with his approval, dismissing warnings from Israel’s own legal officials that the measures breach long-standing commitments to preserve the site’s status quo. “The changes Ben-Gvir is making are not changing the status quo and it is in coordination with me. I decide on the policy,” Netanyahu said, according to reporting in Haaretz. His remarks followed a warning from deputy attorney general […]