Israeli Minister’s Visit to Jerusalem Holy Site Sparks Regional Fury as Prayers Breach Decades-Old Rules
Ultranationalist police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s latest trip to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound came on a solemn Jewish holy day — and his video of Jewish worshippers bowing in prayer has already drawn sharp condemnations from Jordan and Palestinian leaders.
JERUSALEM — For years, the delicate balance at one of the world’s most combustible religious sites has held, just barely. Jews could visit the Temple Mount, as it is known to them, but they could not pray there. That rule, painstakingly negotiated over decades, kept a fragile peace at a place that is the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest in Islam.
On Thursday, that arrangement was publicly challenged.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right police minister and a longtime provocateur, visited the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s walled Old City. The timing was deliberate: Tisha B’Av, a day of fasting and lament in Judaism that mourns the destruction of the ancient Jewish temples. But what drew the sharpest reaction was not the visit itself — Ben-Gvir has made similar trips before — but what he claimed had happened there.
In a video recorded at the site, Ben-Gvir praised Jewish visitors who he said had prayed at the compound in breach of the long-standing arrangements that allow only Muslim prayer there. The footage appeared to show one Jewish visitor bowing in prayer.
“On Tisha B’Av we mark the destruction. But we also see huge progress on the Temple Mount. Look at what’s happening here — Jews praying, feeling like they’re the owners of the place. This has never happened before,” Ben-Gvir said in the video.
A Sacred Site With a Volatile History
The compound in Jerusalem’s walled Old City is one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East. Known to Jews as the Temple Mount, it is the most sacred site in Judaism and is Islam’s third-holiest site. Under a delicate, decades-old arrangement with Muslim authorities, it is administered by a Jordanian religious foundation, and Jews can visit but may not pray there. Any suggestion that Israel would alter those rules has sparked outrage among Muslims and ignited violence in the past.
That history made Ben-Gvir’s video all the more incendiary. By broadcasting what he described as Jewish prayer at the site, he appeared to be signaling a shift in the status quo — something previous Israeli governments, even under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have been careful to avoid.
Indeed, previous such visits and statements by Ben-Gvir have prompted announcements from Netanyahu saying that there is no change in Israel’s policy of keeping the status quo. But on Thursday, there was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office, leaving a conspicuous silence that many interpreted as a sign of the prime minister’s weakened political position and growing dependence on his far-right coalition partners.
Regional Condemnation
The reaction from Arab and Muslim leaders was swift and fierce.
Jordan’s foreign ministry condemned Ben-Gvir’s visit as “a desecration of the sanctity of the mosque, an escalation, a barbaric act, and unacceptable provocation”. Jordan, which serves as the custodian of the holy site under the status-quo agreements, has long viewed any Israeli encroachment on the compound as a direct challenge to its religious and political authority.
The Palestinian religious affairs ministry also condemned the visit, saying it violated the status-quo agreements. For Palestinians, the Al-Aqsa compound is not just a religious site but a powerful symbol of national identity and resistance to Israeli occupation. Any perceived threat to Muslim control over the site has historically triggered mass protests and, at times, violent confrontations.
A Pattern of Provocation
Thursday’s visit was not an isolated incident. Ben-Gvir has made a name for himself as a provocateur who thrives on challenging the norms that have long governed Israeli-Palestinian relations. His previous visits to the compound have drawn similar condemnations, and his public statements have repeatedly tested the limits of what is politically acceptable.
But this visit carried added weight because of the timing and the explicit claim that Jewish prayer had taken place. Whether or not the prayer actually occurred — and whether it was an isolated act or a coordinated demonstration — the message Ben-Gvir sent was unmistakable: he intends to push the boundaries of Jewish access to the site, regardless of the diplomatic and security consequences.
What This Means for the Region
The immediate aftermath of Ben-Gvir’s visit was relatively quiet. There was no immediate sign of unrest on Thursday. But the long-term implications are more concerning. The status quo at the Temple Mount / Al-Aqsa compound has been a cornerstone of Israeli-Jordanian relations and a critical factor in managing tensions with the Palestinian population. Any erosion of that arrangement risks not only inflaming religious passions but also destabilizing the broader region.
For the Biden administration, which has sought to manage the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without becoming consumed by it, Ben-Gvir’s provocations present a recurring headache. The U.S. has consistently supported maintaining the status quo at the holy sites and has condemned actions that threaten to inflame tensions. But with an Israeli government that includes ministers who openly challenge that status quo, American diplomatic efforts face an uphill battle.
A Fraught Moment for Israel
Ben-Gvir’s visit also highlights the deepening tensions within Israeli politics. Netanyahu’s coalition depends on far-right parties led by figures like Ben-Gvir, and the prime minister has often found himself unable or unwilling to rein them in. The result is a government that increasingly speaks with multiple voices — some of which are deeply at odds with Israel’s own stated policies and with the expectations of its allies.
Whether Netanyahu will issue a statement reaffirming the status quo, as he has in the past, remains to be seen. But the longer he remains silent, the more it looks like Ben-Gvir’s provocation has become the new normal — a development with potentially profound consequences for Israel’s relations with Jordan, the Palestinians, and the wider Muslim world.
For now, the Al-Aqsa compound remains quiet. But the embers of the latest provocation are still smoldering — and in Jerusalem, it never takes much for them to burst into flame.
