Israeli minister stirs new tensions over Jerusalem holy site

27 October 2015 03:15 pm

An Israeli minister was accused today of adding fuel to the fire over a disputed Jerusalem holy site after she said she wished to see the Israeli flag raised over it.

The site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, "is the most sacred place of the Jewish people," Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told the Knesset television channel late Monday.

Calling for unlimited access to the site by members of all religions, she insisted that "making a pilgrimage to the Temple Mount is a basic right of every Jew."

Asked if she thought the Israeli flag ought to be raised on the mount, she answered: "Of course. If it were up to us, certainly."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly rebuked her. (dpa)