Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem and prayed there, violating a decades-old arrangement at one of the Middle East’s most sensitive sites. Photos and videos show Ben-Gvir leading Jewish prayers at the compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, in occupied East Jerusalem. This act breaks a long-standing agreement allowing Jews to visit the site but not pray. The Israeli prime minister’s office stated there was no change to Israel’s policy of maintaining the status quo allowing only Muslim worship there. Jordan, the site’s custodian, called the visit “an unacceptable provocation.” Hamas described it as “a deepening of ongoing aggressions against our Palestinian people,” while a spokesperson for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the visit “crossed all red lines.”
The site is the holiest place for Jews as it was the site of two Biblical temples and the third holiest for Muslims, where the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven. It was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war. Under the status quo, Jordan retained its historical role as custodian, while Israel took control of security and access. Palestinians accuse Israel of undermining these arrangements, noting that Jewish visitors have often been seen praying without intervention from Israeli police. Waqf, the Islamic endowment that manages the site, reported that Ben-Gvir was among 1,250 Jews ascending the compound on Sunday morning. Ben-Gvir, as national security minister who oversees the police, has visited before, but the Times of Israel noted this was his first open prayer at the site. He was accompanied by police while entering and touring the compound. At the site, Ben-Gvir commented on “horror” videos of hostages released by Hamas, which appear emaciated, calling for their return and urging Israel to occupy the entire Gaza Strip and promote “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians, which experts say could amount to forced displacement and a war crime. He has been sanctioned by the UK for “repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities” in the occupied West Bank.