National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday voiced his full-throated endorsement of Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, defying the long-standing status quo at the sensitive Jerusalem site.
"I am the political echelon, and the political echelon permits Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount," the far-right firebrand said at a Knesset conference he initiated marking Israel's return to the Temple Mount. "I was on the Temple Mount last week. I prayed on the Temple Mount, and we are praying on the Temple Mount."
Ben-Gvir's statement, which may cause friction with the Palestinians due to the site's significance to both Jews and Muslims—known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif—came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting Washington ahead of his address to Congress.
Any changes to the status quo at the site are perceived as threats to Muslim religious practices and Palestinian national identity, often leading to unrest and violence. The move could also strain Israel's relations with the broader Muslim world and complicate the already tense Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Netanyahu's office said in response to Ben-Gvir's statement that "Israel's policy to maintain the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will not change."
Last month, the national security minister declared during the Independence Day Flag March in Jerusalem that "Jews prayed freely on the Temple Mount." Hours later, Netanyahu's office clarified, "The status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will not change."
The exchange followed footage of people on the Temple Mount waving Israeli flags and singing Israel's national anthem Hatikvah. If Jews did pray there, it would constitute a violation of the status quo, which allows Jews to visit the site without praying.
"It’s no secret I had a disagreement with the prime minister about closing the Temple Mount during the last ten days of Ramadan," Ben-Gvir revealed at Wednesday's Knesset conference. "I believed it shouldn’t be closed for even a minute. There's still progress to be made, but I remember the days when people shouted 'Allahu Akbar' at me, and I shouted back 'Shema Yisrael,' and I was arrested.
“Today, it’s different. Many people enter the Mount, walk proudly and pray, as it should be. I want to thank the police, outgoing district commander Doron Turgeman and acting commander Amir Arzani for their hard work and demonstration of governance. There will be no discrimination against Jews on the Temple Mount; that’s my aim."
The event was also attended by Energy Minister Eli Cohen and Knesset members Yitzhak Kroizer, Nissim Vaturi, Ariel Kallner, Limor Son Har-Melech, Zvi Succot and Keti Shitrit - all members of Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party, Ben-Gvir's ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit Party and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant sharply criticized Ben-Gvir over his statement, dubbing him a "pyromaniac in the Israeli government trying to ignite the Middle East," and saying he opposed including the Otzma Yehudit chairman in any significant security forum.
Ben-Gvir has been blocking a bill proposed by the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party that would transfer the power to appoint communal rabbis from local authorities to the religious affairs minister and the Chief Rabbinate. He demands inclusion in a forum with the authority to dictate the course of the war, similar to the recently disbanded War Cabinet. Shas leader Arye Deri vetoed Ben-Gvir's inclusion in any such forum, even if it meant the bill would be quashed.
Ben-Gvir responded, saying, "Gallant and Deri represent the left-flank of the narrow [war] forum's approach, promoting containment in the north and stagnation in the south, while pushing for a reckless deal to end the war."
Ben-Gvir added, "This is why they oppose my inclusion in the narrow forum. My view is that we must strive for decisive action in both the south and the north and secure the release of hostages not through surrender, but through military pressure and decisive action."
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel of Shas strongly opposed Ben-Gvir's statements, saying, "All major rabbinic authorities have agreed on a total prohibition against ascending the Temple Mount. The great desecration he caused is a grave sin." MK Tally Gotliv (Likud) responded to Arbel, "Those are your authorities, not mine."
MK Moshe Gafni of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party also condemned Ben-Gvir's statements. "Ascending the Temple Mount carries a severe prohibition," he wrote on X. "I urge the prime minister not to allow changes to the status quo on the Temple Mount, and if any changes are made, it should be closed to Jews."
Last Thursday morning, Ben-Gvir visited the Temple Mount with a police escort. "During his visit, he prayed for the return of hostages and called for increased military pressure against Hamas," according to a statement on his behalf.
"I came here, to the most important place for Israel and the Jewish people, to pray for the return of the hostages without a reckless deal, without surrender," Ben-Gvir said during his visit. "I pray and work hard to ensure the prime minister has the strength not to fold and to achieve victory—apply military pressure, cut off their fuel—win."
Palestinian media highlighted the visit’s sensitive timing during the ongoing war. The WAFA Palestinian news agency reported that Ben-Gvir toured the area with a heavy police presence and claimed that police prevented Muslim worshippers from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque during his visit to the Temple Mount compound.
First published: 12:54, 07.24.24