Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reiterated the claim that the government’s policy permits Jewish prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
However, Ben Gvir, the leader of the far-right “Jewish Power” party, escalated the gravity of his statements by announcing his intention to build a synagogue within the Al-Aqsa compound.
Speaking to Israeli Army Radio, Ben Gvir stated, “The policy allows prayer on the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque). There is equal law for Jews and Muslims. I would build a synagogue there.”
This marks the first time Ben Gvir has explicitly mentioned plans to establish a synagogue inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, following his repeated calls in recent months to allow Jewish prayers at the site.
Ben Gvir’s statements coincide with an increase in settlers performing prayers during their incursions into Al-Aqsa, under the protection of the Israeli police, who effectively fall under Ben Gvir’s authority.
In response to Ben Gvir’s repeated remarks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has claimed in recent months that there has been no change to the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The status quo, which has been in place since before the 1967 occupation of Jerusalem, stipulates that the Islamic Waqf, under the Jordanian Ministry of Religious Endowments, is responsible for managing the affairs of the mosque, which is designated as a place of worship exclusively for Muslims.
However, since 2003, Israeli police, acting unilaterally and without the consent of the Islamic Waqf, have allowed settlers to enter the Al-Aqsa compound on weekdays, excluding Fridays and Saturdays.
Ben Gvir’s repeated incursions and his statements advocating for Jewish prayers at Al-Aqsa have sparked widespread condemnation across the Arab and Islamic worlds, as well as within the international community.
His actions have also drawn ire from Israeli religious parties that oppose the incursions, arguing that those entering the site lack the necessary purity, as Jewish tradition holds that the Temple once stood there.
On Monday, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel of the religious “Shas” party commented, “Prime Minister Netanyahu must act immediately to rein in Ben Gvir in response to his remarks this morning regarding the Temple Mount,” according to Army Radio.
Arbel added that Ben Gvir’s “irresponsible words jeopardize Israel’s strategic alliances with Islamic nations, which are pivotal in the fight against the Iranian axis of evil.”
He warned that Ben Gvir’s “lack of intelligence could lead to bloodshed.”
Since assuming his position in December 2022, Ben Gvir has repeatedly entered Al-Aqsa Mosque, despite criticism from Islamic, Arab, and international entities.
Palestinians assert that Israel is intensifying its efforts to Judaize occupied Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erase its Arab and Islamic identity.
The Palestinian Authority remains steadfast in its claim to East Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state, based on international legal decisions that do not recognize Israel’s 1967 occupation of the city or its annexation in 1981.
