Ben Gvir pushes for changes to Jerusalem's Temple Mount status quo

Ben Gvir's push to increase Jewish presence and prayer on the Temple Mount could inflame tensions, potentially provoking a backlash from Palestinian and Muslim groups

i24NEWS
i24NEWS
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Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visiting the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, January 3, 2022.
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visiting the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, January 3, 2022.Temple Mount Directorate

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reportedly aims to change the status quo at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, intensifying Jewish presence and prayers at the site, according to reports from the Kan public broadcaster on Tuesday.

Ben Gvir, representing the far-right Jewish Power party, has allegedly incorporated altering the status quo at the Temple Mount into his ministry's annual work plan. 

The plan includes objectives such as enhancing governance on the holy site, ensuring basic rights, and curbing discrimination and racism—a nod to restrictions on Jewish prayer historically imposed at the location.

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The Temple Mount, known as Haram al-Sharif in Arabic, is revered as the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest in Islam, housing the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Since Israel's capture of East Jerusalem in 1967, it has maintained a delicate status quo, allowing Muslim authorities to oversee religious activities while Israeli security forces maintain security.

Ben Gvir's push to increase Jewish presence and prayer on the Temple Mount could inflame tensions, potentially provoking a backlash from Palestinian and Muslim groups. In the past, attempts to alter the status quo have led to violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians, heightening tensions in the region.

Minhelet Har Habit
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visits Jerusalem's Temple Mount on occasion of fasting holiday Tisha B'Av.Minhelet Har Habit

While the national security minister holds influence over police operations at the Temple Mount, broader policy decisions regarding the holy site ultimately rest with the prime minister.

 The Temple Mount's significance in both Jewish and Islamic traditions makes it a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with any changes to its status quo carrying significant political and religious implications.

Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90
Dome of the Rock at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, in the Old City of Jerusalem.Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90

Ben Gvir's move to alter the status quo at the Temple Mount reflects his party's longstanding advocacy for Jewish sovereignty over the site. 

Non-Muslim visits to the Temple Mount are currently restricted to specific hours, with Israeli authorities closely monitoring access to the site. 

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