Thousands of Jews visit Temple Mount for Tisha B'Av as Ben Gvir prays openly

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir joined thousands of Jewish worshipers who entered the Temple Mount on Thursday to mark the Tisha B'Av fast, with many praying openly at the site. The Islamic Waqf Department said 3,228 Israelis entered during the morning period alone, with thousands more expected in the afternoon.

Police arrested around a dozen people for praying on the western side of the Mount, where Jewish prayer remains formally barred, as opposed to the eastern side, where it is now de facto permitted by police. Officers also allowed worshipers to bring Tisha B'Av liturgical materials into the compound.

Ben Gvir, seen carrying a prayer book, wrote on social media that Jews praying at the site "feel like the owners" and that "the State of Israel is the sovereign authority."

Jordan's foreign ministry called the visits "a flagrant violation of the historical and legal status quo," condemned "unacceptable incursions by ministers, Knesset members, and extremist settlers." It criticized Israeli police for "facilitating these actions." It urged the international community to compel Israel, as the occupying power, to halt the practice. The Palestinian Authority's office issued a similarly worded statement, and the Palestinian ministry of religious endowments and affairs said the visits "seek to ignite a religious war throughout the entire region."

Under the decades-old status quo, Muslims may pray and enter the compound with few restrictions, while non-Muslims, including Jews, are permitted to visit only during limited time slots and have historically been barred from praying. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed expanded Jewish prayer at the site in January, saying changes were coordinated with him, while maintaining that Israel had not violated the agreement.