Israeli government to fund Jewish settlers' storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque for the first time

The Israeli government plans to fund the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Jewish settlers in the occupied East Jerusalem for the first time, Israeli media reported late on Monday.

Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu ordered the allocation of two million NIS (around $522,000) for the project, set to be implemented in later weeks, according to broadcaster Kan.

Eliyahu has been coordinating with the National Security Ministry, led by extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, to secure Israeli police approval for the settlers' funded tours to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Eliyahu’s move comes amid ongoing incursions into the Al-Aqsa complex by illegal Israeli settlers, often under the protection of Israeli police, with Ben-Gvir involved in some of these raids.

This announcement follows repeated assurances by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to maintain the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque.  

This refers to the arrangement that existed prior to Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, where the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, under the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments, managed the mosque's affairs. 

However, in 2003, Israeli authorities altered this arrangement by permitting settlers to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque without the consent of the Islamic Waqf, which has consistently called for an end to these incursions.  

Al-Aqsa Mosque holds significant religious importance as the third holiest site in Islam, while some Jewish people, who refer to it as the Temple Mount, believe it to be the site of two ancient Jewish temples with questions from archaelogists about these claims.

The development coincides with Ben-Gvir's highly publicised comments, earlier on Monday, where he openly suggested that he would build a synagogue at the Al-Aqsa compound if he could.

His comments led to widespread condemnation in the Middle East, as leaders in Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia denounced the continued targeting of the holy sites. 

Ben-Gvir heads the extremist Jewish Power party, which has been described as fascist and anti-Arab, of which Heritage Minister Eliyahu is also a member.  

Ben-Gvir has advocated for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, the construction of illegal Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory, and the shooting of Palestinian women and children. 

Similarly, Heritage Minister Eliyahu, who has held his position since 2022, has made equally extreme remarks during Israel's military operations in Gaza. 

Last November, Eliyahu controversially suggested that "using a nuclear weapon was an option" for the Israeli army and argued that Gaza "has no right to exist".