Despite threats of increased terror attacks, MK Itamar Ben Gvir visited the Temple Mount on Thursday. The nationalist lawmaker was called a “pyromaniac” by the Joint List, a party that consists primarily of Arabs and has often been accused of placing enemy interests over Israel’s.

MK @itamarbengvir is on the Temple Mount this morning and calls on Israel not to appease terrorists but to strike at them, and reminds us that he who controls this holiest place controls all of the Land of Israel pic.twitter.com/UsR6RG6Iif

— Yishai Fleisher يشاي ישי פליישר (@YishaiFleisher) March 31, 2022

After receiving permission from the police to ascend the holy site, the Joint List released a statement saying: “It has again been proven that the real problem in Jerusalem is the police no less than the guilty pyromaniac Ben Gvir.” It should be noted that MK Ben Gvir has never been accused or convicted of arson.

The statement read: “The government of Israel is responsible for all escalation from Ben Gvir’s provocation, which is dancing on blood and storming the Al-Aqsa mosque. He and the police ignited the riots last May and are seemingly addicted to the fire that will hit everyone.”

A defiant Ben Gvir responded to the threats saying: “We can not communicate with terrorists with submission and weakness. My tour delivers one message: We can not allow the state of Israel to fold to terrorists that want to kill us all. Submission and weakness invite terrorism and whoever controls the Temple Mount controls the entire Land of Israel – the enemy also understands this.”

In response to threats from Hamas, Ben Gvir recommended that Hamas “shut their mouths,” calling for the targeted assassination of terrorists.

Temple Mount tourguide and activist Michael Miller responded to Ben Gvir’s decision in an interview with Israel365 News saying:” I’m relieved and proud that MK Itamar Bengvir ascended the Temple Mount today, despite many dead threats from Arabs on his life. By ascending the holiest site in Judaism, he’s expressing Jewish nationalist and Zionist pride while the State of Israel on the other hand is expressing weakness, unwillingness, and capitulation to Arab terror in Israel that has raised its ugly head ahead of the “holy month” of Ramadan. It’s a real shame that he’s the only (or one of the only) MK’s willing to do what’s necessary to save the Jewish identity of the country. MK Itamar Bengvir is a ray of silver lining, in a reality of evil, hatred, and darkness.”