A controversial visit to Jerusalem’s most sensitive religious site by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, has sparked widespread condemnation and reignited concerns over the fragile status quo at the Temple Mount—known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Ben Gvir visited the site on May 26 during the annual 'Flag March', held to commemorate Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967 war. The Temple Mount is revered by Jews as the holiest site in Judaism as the location of the two biblical temples. It is equally significant to Muslims as the location of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, and the place from which Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
During his visit, Ben Gvir declared that Jewish prayer—including full prostration—was permitted at the site. This statement appeared to challenge the longstanding, albeit unwritten, status quo that prohibits Jewish worship there. The prime minister’s office later insisted that no changes had been made to existing norms, though observers noted that Israeli police, under Ben Gvir’s jurisdiction, have increasingly tolerated limited Jewish prayer in recent years.
The minister was accompanied by fellow members of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, including Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf and MK Yitzhak Kroizer, as well as parliament member Zvi Sukkot of the Religious Zionist Party. Photos from the visit showed Jewish visitors bowing in prayer while police looked on, and Sukkot was filmed parading an Israeli flag on the holy site, proclaiming, "The Temple Mount is in our hands."
The visit drew a sharp response from Jordan, which denounced it as a "flagrant violation of the historical and legal status quo." The Jordanian government, which oversees Islamic sites in East Jerusalem under a longstanding agreement, accused Ben Gvir of "storming the al-Aqsa Mosque... along with a large group of extremist settlers." Hamas also condemned the visit, calling it an "escalation" and accusing Israel of attempting to "Judaise" the mosque. The group called on Palestinians and the broader Muslim world to defend the site and resist what it described as settler "intrusions."
Meanwhile, Jerusalem’s Old City descended into chaos as tens of thousands of Israelis participated in the state-funded Flag March. Organised by the group "Am K’Lavi" which is chaired by Baruch Kahane—the son of banned Jewish supremacist leader Meir Kahane—the march wound its way through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. Many Palestinian shopkeepers shuttered their businesses ahead of the procession, but those who remained were harassed by groups of young marchers, witnesses said.
Chants of "Gaza is ours," "Death to the Arabs," and "May their villages burn" were heard from participants. Clashes erupted when the marchers targeted not only Palestinians but also left-wing Israeli activists and journalists.
Despite warnings from the Shin Bet security service that a cabinet meeting in East Jerusalem would be provocative, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his ministers in the Silwan neighbourhood earlier in the day. Ben Gvir used the opportunity to repeat his call for unrestricted Jewish access to the Temple Mount and declared he was "praying for victory in the Israel-Hamas War and the return of all hostages held in Gaza."
His actions were also criticised by religious leaders within Israel. Parliament member Moshe Gafni of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party condemned the visit, stating it violated Jewish religious law and could cause "unpardonable damage." Left-wing opposition leader and former deputy army commander Yair Golan, too, expressed alarm, stating: "This is not what loving Jerusalem looks like. This is what hatred, racism and bullying look like."