Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir rarely passes a single day without generating controversy designed to dominate headlines and social media discourse.
Within Israeli political circles, Ben Gvir has increasingly been compared to the media style of US President Donald Trump during his election campaigns. The comparison is not accidental. Ben Gvir has mastered the mechanics of modern digital populism to the point that Israeli commentators now routinely refer to him as the “TikTok Minister” because of the constant stream of provocative videos, symbolic gestures, and highly calculated media appearances he pushes across social platforms.
Recent examples have included bizarre public spectacles surrounding his fiftieth birthday, where his wife presented him with a cake decorated with a noose, followed by a staged video showing him asleep and dreaming of fruits, vegetables, sweets, and household items, all shaped like hanging ropes.
Yet beyond the theatrics, one development stands out as politically and ideologically far more significant: Ben Gvir reportedly received a special religious ruling from Rabbi Dov Lior, the leading rabbinical authority linked to the extremist “Jewish Power” movement, permitting him to enter all areas of the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, including zones traditionally forbidden even according to mainstream religious Zionist interpretations.
A Religious Ruling With Major Political Implications
According to the reported ruling, the justification for granting Ben Gvir unrestricted access was the need to demonstrate “Israeli sovereignty” over the site through the presence of an official state minister across all sections of the compound.
To understand the significance of this ruling, it is necessary to examine the long standing religious dispute surrounding Jewish entry into Al Aqsa.
Traditional ultra Orthodox rabbinical authorities, including Israel’s official rabbinate, have historically prohibited Jews from entering the entire Al Aqsa compound altogether. The prohibition is rooted in Jewish religious laws concerning ritual impurity associated with contact with the dead. According to these interpretations, purification from such impurity requires specific rituals involving the ashes of a red heifer, conditions which do not currently exist.
However, religious Zionist movements, particularly those associated with West Bank settlers, gradually developed alternative religious frameworks allowing controlled entry into parts of the mosque compound even without fulfilment of the traditional purification requirements.
Groups associated with the so called “New Sanhedrin” argued that Jewish presence inside Al Aqsa was strategically necessary to establish long term control over the site and eventually transform it into a shared religious space under Israeli authority through gradual demographic and political pressure.
Prominent figures advancing this ideology include activists such as Yehuda Glick, widely viewed as one of the ideological architects behind settler incursions into Al Aqsa, alongside rabbis linked to institutions promoting what they refer to as “Temple Mount” theology.
Why Entry Into the Dome of the Rock Matters
Even within these religious Zionist circles, strict limits traditionally remained in place regarding which areas settlers could enter.
Most rabbis permitting incursions restricted access to lower courtyards near the Qibli Mosque while forbidding entry into the elevated platform surrounding the Dome of the Rock.
The restrictions stem from deeply rooted theological beliefs. One major belief holds that the Ark of the Covenant containing the original Torah tablets remains buried somewhere beneath the Dome of the Rock area since the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE.
Another, even more important, consideration concerns the concept of holiness hierarchy within Jewish religious doctrine. According to these beliefs, the more sacred a location becomes, the fewer people are permitted to enter it.
Within this framework, the rock beneath the Dome of the Rock is regarded by many Jewish religious authorities as the “Holy of Holies”, the holiest location in Judaism, believed to be the site where Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was commanded to sacrifice his son. Islamic belief identifies the son as Prophet Ismail, while Jewish tradition identifies him as Isaac.
Under traditional Jewish law, entry into this sacred zone was historically restricted to the High Priest and only on Yom Kippur.
Against this backdrop, granting Ben Gvir unrestricted religious authorisation effectively elevates him into a uniquely symbolic religious and political figure within Israel’s far right ecosystem.
Ben Gvir’s Political Transformation
The article argues that Ben Gvir is no longer attempting merely to lead the religious Zionist camp, but is increasingly positioning himself as the future leader of the Israeli right as a whole.
Several indicators point in that direction.
Ben Gvir consistently highlights his role in advancing legislation such as the death penalty law targeting Palestinian prisoners. He repeatedly stages highly publicised incursions into Al Aqsa, openly promotes Jewish religious rituals inside the mosque compound, and now presents himself as a religiously sanctioned figure authorised to enter areas considered forbidden even for most Jews.
Each of these actions functions as political capital aimed at strengthening his standing ahead of future elections.
The strategy bears similarities to former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, whose infamous 2000 incursion into Al Aqsa helped propel him to power during the 2001 elections.
Ben Gvir appears to be following a comparable model: transforming confrontations around Al Aqsa into symbols of nationalist and religious leadership.
The Rise of Religious Far Right Populism
Although Ben Gvir’s party currently holds only a limited number of seats in the Knesset, the article argues that his influence extends far beyond his faction.
He increasingly represents a broader global wave of religious nationalist populism that has reshaped political landscapes across several countries.
Figures such as Trump in the United States and Javier Milei in Argentina are cited as examples of highly polarising personalities once dismissed as fringe actors before rising to power through populist mobilisation and ideological radicalisation.
Within Israel, this trend is becoming more visible through growing support for hardline religious nationalism, messianic rhetoric, and openly expansionist agendas centred around Al Aqsa and occupied Jerusalem.
What Comes Next for Al Aqsa?
The article warns that unless internal Israeli political institutions manage to contain this trajectory, Ben Gvir is likely to pursue even more radical measures regarding Al Aqsa in the coming months.
Possible scenarios discussed include entering the Qibli Mosque and Dome of the Rock directly while publicly portraying himself as their primary Jewish religious patron.
The article also points to increasing pressure from ministers and Knesset members affiliated with Likud and religious Zionist factions demanding broader settler access to Al Aqsa during highly sensitive dates, including days coinciding with the Palestinian Nakba anniversary and what Israelis call “Jerusalem Day”.
Such moves would continue a pattern established under Benjamin Netanyahu, who previously authorised settler incursions into Al Aqsa during Islamic religious occasions despite prior understandings with Palestinians.
The article further warns that future measures could include allowing settlers to bring furniture, tables, and ritual tools into Al Aqsa in ways that fundamentally alter the historical and legal status quo governing the mosque compound.
According to the analysis, Ben Gvir would likely present these developments to Israeli voters as historic achievements proving his ability to accomplish what previous leaders could not.
A Dangerous Escalation
The article concludes that Ben Gvir’s rise reflects a deeper transformation within Israeli society itself.
Despite lacking traditional political experience or strategic sophistication, his appeal is fuelled by populism, religious extremism, and narratives of divine mission that increasingly resonate within sectors of Israeli society shaped by war, militarisation, and ideological radicalisation.
The growing normalisation of these currents, the article argues, risks pushing the region towards far more dangerous confrontations centred around Al Aqsa and occupied Jerusalem unless serious political resistance emerges before figures like Ben Gvir gain even greater power.
