National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Temple Mount this Thursday morning and, according to his office, "offered a prayer" there, in defiance of the status quo. According to Ben-Gvir's office, his ascent to the Mount was in honor of Hanukkah, and he prayed there for the peace of IDF soldiers, the return of the kidnapped alive and the fallen, and "complete victory" in the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed of Ben Gvir's intention before he visited the Temple Mount, and the Prime Minister's Office was quick to respond to his announcement that "the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed." In previous cases where Ben Gvir ascended the Temple Mount, the Prime Minister's Office was forced to disavow his statements. In the past, it has even stated that "the determination of policy on the Temple Mount is directly subordinate to the government and its head."
Ra'am party Chairman Mansour Abbas sharply criticized the conduct of the Minister of National Security, telling Ynet that "Al-Aqsa is an Islamic place of prayer; Ben Gvir continues to provoke the Muslim world with Netanyahu's approval."
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This is not the first time Ben-Gvir has spoken out in favor of violating the status quo on the Temple Mount. In the past, he said : "I am the political echelon, and the political echelon permits Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount." On another occasion, he called for a synagogue to be built there.
Ben Gvir visited the Temple Mount while the coalition is outraged by his conduct , and sources claim that "it is impossible to deal with him." The Minister of National Security continued to vote this week against the coalition as it tries to pass the 2025 budget; not passing the budget would lead to the automatic dissolution of the current Knesset.