National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) ascended the Temple Mount on Thursday alongside Jewish worshipers marking Tisha B’Av, saying that Jews praying there felt that they were “the rightful owners” of the holy site.
Ben-Gvir made the trip alongside Development of the Negev and Galilee Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, who is also a member of Oztma Yehudit.
The far-right minister’s visit came as crowds of Jewish worshipers ascended the site during the Jewish day of mourning commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples.
At the site, Ben-Gvir said that they were “ witnessing tremendous progress on the Temple Mount.” He was also pictured carrying a prayer book and worshiping there.
The status quo on the Temple Mount, established after 1967, allows Israel to oversee security while the Jordanian-backed Islamic Waqf administers the site.
Non-Muslims, including Jews, may visit during limited hours, but are strictly prohibited from praying there.
“Look at what’s happening here. Jews are praying and feel that they are the rightful owners of this place,” Ben-Gvir said at the site.
“That was never the case before. The same is true in more and more places. We have reduced terrorist attacks by 85%.”
“Everywhere, people understand that the State of Israel is the sovereign here. There is still more to do, and with God’s help, we will continue to move forward,” he added.
Ben-Gvir claims Temple Mount status quo no longer exists
Ben-Gvir has frequently visited the Temple Mount during Jewish holidays and has stated in the past that the status quo there no longer exists.
He also visited the site during Tisha B’Av last year.
The Prime Minister’s Office has, in the past, clarified that Israel’s policy on the Temple Mount has not changed after the visits, though such an announcement was not immediately made on Thursday.
Ben-Gvir’s visits have consistently drawn international condemnation and criticism from regional figures.
In April, Ben-Gvir visited the Temple Mount, where he said he felt like the “owner” of the site and stated that he would continue pressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to expand access for Jewish worshipers.
Foreign Affairs Ministry condemns Ben-Gvir’s Temple Mount visit
In response to Ben-Gvir’s visit on Thursday, the Foreign Affairs Ministry strongly condemned his trip to the Temple Mount, as well as those of other Jewish worshipers, saying they violated the longstanding status quo at the holy site.
The ministry stated that the visit and actions taken there were a “flagrant violation of the prevailing historical and legal status quo at the Noble Sanctuary, a desecration of the sanctity of the mosque, a condemned escalation, a barbaric act, and unacceptable provocation.”
MK Gilad Kariv (Democrats) also condemned Ben-Gvir’s visit to the site, calling him and his far-right Party “the heirs of the zealots who led to the destruction of Jerusalem.”
“Now, they are doing everything they can to push us toward an explosion on the Temple Mount,” he added.
Kariv said that he had sent out a “strongly worded warning letter” to the prime minister over a year ago regarding Ben-Gvir’s visits, but had received no response.
Kariv also noted that the “direct responsibility lies with Netanyahu, who, on this issue as well, will not be able to claim that he didn’t know or that he received no warnings.”
