From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Ben Gvir tours Temple Mount in effort to boost numbers of Jews allowed to visit site
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir ascends to Temple Mount in Jerusalem with senior police and IDF Homefront Command officials in what his office describes as an effort to get the military to increase the number of Jewish worshipers allowed at the holy site in the wake of limits imposed on public gatherings due to the ongoing war with Iran.
“During the tour, no agreements were reached, and the Home Front Command still opposes the opening of the Mount contrary to its consent to allow protests of 150 people at Habima Square [n Tel Aviv]. In light of this, an additional tour is expected to take place in order to examine further alternatives,” Ben Gvir’s office says in a statement.
Responding to a petition over the weekend, the IDF Home Front Command and Israel Police gave anti-war protesters permission to rally, in limited numbers, across the country, with 150 allowed to protest at Habima Square in Tel Aviv. The High Court subsequently issued an interim ruling that on Saturday evening up to 600 people could attend the main Tel Aviv protest, which was later broken up by police.
The court’s decision was protested by coalition figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who posted disapprovingly on X that “while Jews are restricted during the holiday from praying at the Western Wall, the High Court of Justice has approved a left-wing demonstration in Tel Aviv.”
However, following petitions filed by religious leaders, the court on Sunday ruled that the number of people allowed to gather at the Western Wall and the Temple Mount amid the ongoing war with Iran must rise from 50 to 100.
The Times of Israel Community.