Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on August 3, 2025, and said he prayed there, challenging a longstanding arrangement under which non-Muslims may visit the site but Jewish prayer is not officially permitted.
Reuters reported that footage published by the Temple Mount Administration, a Jewish group advocating greater Jewish access to the site, showed Ben-Gvir at the compound during Tisha B'Av, a Jewish day of mourning for the destruction of the ancient temples traditionally associated with the location. Other footage showed Jewish worshippers praying there.
The compound is known to Muslims as Al-Haram al-Sharif, which includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, and to Jews as the Temple Mount. It is one of the most religiously and politically sensitive places in Jerusalem.
Israel Says the Status Quo Has Not Changed
Following Ben-Gvir's visit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel's policy of maintaining the site's status quo "has not changed and will not change."
Under the longstanding arrangement, the Jordanian-backed Islamic Waqf administers the religious site, while Israel controls security and access. Jewish visitors are allowed to enter at specified times, but the Israeli government's stated policy has continued to prohibit Jewish prayer there.
The U.S. State Department has described the Jordanian Waqf as the body administering the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount, with Jordan supporting the Waqf's staff and maintenance.
Ben-Gvir has repeatedly advocated allowing Jewish prayer at the compound. His position has created tensions within the Israeli government because it conflicts with the official status-quo policy reiterated by the prime minister's office.
Palestinian and Regional Condemnation
The visit drew condemnation from Palestinian officials and regional governments. Jordan, which has a special custodial role at Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, described Ben-Gvir's actions as a provocation and has repeatedly warned against attempts to alter arrangements governing the compound.
A spokesperson for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the visit crossed "all red lines" and called for international intervention. Hamas also condemned the visit as an escalation.
The Islamic Waqf said approximately 1,250 Jewish visitors entered the compound that morning. Reuters reported that the Waqf said some visitors prayed and danced during the visit. No immediate violence was reported at the site in connection with Ben-Gvir's appearance.
Why the Site Is So Sensitive
The compound is central to both Islam and Judaism. Al-Aqsa is regarded by Muslims as Islam's third-holiest site. In Jewish tradition, the Temple Mount is the location of the First and Second Temples and is Judaism's holiest site.
Israel captured East Jerusalem, including the Old City, from Jordan during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later extended Israeli law and administration over East Jerusalem in a move not generally recognized internationally. Jordan retained a custodial role over Muslim holy sites, while Israeli authorities maintained overall security control and access arrangements.
Because changes in access or worship practices can carry religious, national and political significance, developments at the compound have repeatedly triggered diplomatic disputes and periods of unrest.
Ben-Gvir Also Reiterates Gaza Position
During his visit, Ben-Gvir also referred to videos released by Hamas showing Israeli hostages held in Gaza and called for their release. He again advocated Israeli control over the entire Gaza Strip and promoted what he has called the "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians from the territory.
Proposals involving the movement of Gaza's civilian population are legally and politically contested. International humanitarian law prohibits the forcible transfer or deportation of protected civilians from occupied territory except under narrowly defined circumstances, while Ben-Gvir and allies have described their proposal as voluntary.
The visit also came less than two months after the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway announced measures against Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The UK government said it sanctioned Ben-Gvir in his personal capacity over what it described as repeated incitement and support for violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The British measures included an asset freeze, travel ban and director disqualification.
Ben-Gvir's August 3 appearance therefore did not formally change Israel's declared policy for the compound, but his public prayer highlighted the continuing gap between that official position and the practices increasingly visible among some Jewish visitors at the site.
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