An Israeli minister visited Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Tuesday. The visit sparked a wave of international condemnation, including from the United States. The 15-member Council discussed the visit at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday. Israel’s ambassador to the UN called the session “pathetic” and “absurd” while the Palestinian envoy accused Israel of acting with contempt. Non-Muslims are not allowed to pray at the holy site in Jerusalem’s Old City.
It is the most sacred place to Jews, who refer to it as Temple Mount. Under a longstanding status quo, non-Muslims can visit the site at specific times but not pray there. Some Israeli nationalists are believed to do so covertly, which angers the Palestinians.
