Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir triggered regional condemnation on Sunday after he entered the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem and led Jewish prayers, violating a longstanding agreement at one of the most politically sensitive religious sites in the Middle East.
Footage released from the visit shows Ben-Gvir praying inside the compound, a move that defies a decades-old status quo allowing Jews to visit the site, known to them as the Temple Mount, but not to pray there. The status quo, established after Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war, designates the site as exclusively for Muslim worship, with Jordan remaining the religious custodian.
Ben-Gvir’s visit drew swift condemnation. Jordan described the act as an “unacceptable provocation,” while the Palestinian Authority said it “crossed all red lines.” Hamas called the visit “a deepening of the ongoing aggressions against our Palestinian people.”
The Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian-backed body managing the site, reported that Ben-Gvir was among 1,250 Jewish visitors to ascend the compound on Sunday. He was flanked by Israeli police officers, who oversee security and access to the area.
Despite the prime minister’s office issuing a statement reaffirming Israel’s commitment to the status quo, Ben-Gvir’s actions are widely seen as undermining the delicate balance at the site, which is considered the holiest location in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam.
According to The Times of Israel, this was the first time Ben-Gvir has publicly led prayer at the site while serving in government, marking a significant escalation. Palestinians and several international observers argue that Israeli authorities have increasingly turned a blind eye to violations of the prayer ban, with Jewish prayer at the site becoming more visible in recent years.
During his visit, Ben-Gvir also referred to recent videos released by Hamas showing emaciated Israeli hostages, describing them as “horror” footage intended to pressure Israel. He reiterated calls for Israel to fully occupy Gaza and promote what he termed the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians — a proposal critics say amounts to forced displacement and could constitute a war crime under international law.
Ben-Gvir, known for his ultra-nationalist views, has previously been sanctioned by the United Kingdom for inciting violence against Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank.
The visit is expected to heighten tensions in Jerusalem and across the region, amid growing fears that religious provocations at al-Aqsa could spark further unrest.
