Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sent a message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning of security risks due to the unrestricted entry of Israeli Arabs to the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan. Ben Gvir called for a meeting of the political-security cabinet to discuss the expected crowding in the Al-Aqsa compound during Ramadan, in light of Netanyahu's decision not to limit the number of worshippers, warning that "a catastrophe has not occurred in past Ramadan months, but as in the Meron disaster, this does not guarantee that it will not happen this time."
In his message, he stated: "I would like to warn you that even after the significant efforts made by the police, there are major gaps in the ability to implement the Prime Minister's decision without risking human life." He added: "I do not know if there will definitely be an event that results in many victims or an emergency, but from the discussion I had and the questions I raised, I did not get the impression that the police have the ability to manage the situation and ensure the safety and security of the expected number of worshippers in the Al-Aqsa compound due to the Prime Minister's decision."
He continued: "I was not impressed by the ability to manage the heavy load at the gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque when tens of thousands arrive at its entrances, and certainly not 50 or 60 thousand people. I was not satisfied with the prospect of a real response to a security incident that could happen there and controlling what will happen. Moreover, I was not impressed that there is an ability to limit the number to 50-60 thousand people when there is no age cap."
Ben Gvir said: "I wave a bright red flag before you and request a re-evaluation of the decision. In fact, the prosecutor will argue that even in the previous Ramadan and the Ramadan before that, fortunately, no disaster occurred, but the Meron Commission has already decided that the fact that things ended in the past without any loss of life does not make it a successful event. Furthermore, as we have detailed, Shabtai knew that the event involves a real danger to life every year, and this information itself compelled him to reconsider the assumptions underlying the operational plan."
Ben Gvir concluded his message by saying: "In light of all the above, and given the proximity to the start of Ramadan and the urgency of the matter which entails a real danger to life, I would like to convene an urgent political meeting of the security cabinet to discuss the issue of crowding again and the topic of security and safety, in light of the absence of a satisfactory response to these issues."
