Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partner, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, are at odds over the Temple Mount's policy. Ben-Gvir recently challenged the long-standing status quo, which has been in place since 1967, that allows Jews to visit but not pray on the site.
During a visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Tisha B’Av, Ben-Gvir declared a policy shift, asserting, “Our policy is to allow prayer” on the Temple Mount. Accompanied by Minister for the Negev and the Galilee, Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Ben-Gvir linked his stance to his opposition to ongoing hostage negotiations, preferring a military victory over Hamas instead.
He emphasized his point with a prayer for the return of hostages and the well-being of soldiers, just days before the U.S. was set to host critical negotiations for a deal in Doha with Qatar and Egypt. Ben-Gvir’s visit and declarations have heightened tensions, reflecting deep divisions within the Israeli government over the future of the Temple Mount.
* The Jerusalem Post contributed to this article.