In first, Ben Gvir openly leads prayers on flashpoint Temple Mount, in violation of status quo

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir openly leads a prayer minyan — a quorum of 10 Jewish men — at the Temple Mount, the first time that the far-right leader has been seen in overt worship at the flashpoint site.

Although instances of Jewish prayer have become increasingly common at the Temple Mount in recent years, this is the first time a government minister has prayed openly there. He is seen leading the “Amida” prayer for dozens of other Jews observing Tisha B’Av, a fast day marking the destruction of both ancient Jewish Temples located atop the Temple Mount. The mount is now the site of several important mosques and other Islamic sites.

Police detained an Arab man who shouted at Ben Gvir and his group of worshipers, according to Arutz 7.

Jews are forbidden from praying at the Temple Mount complex, also known as the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound, which is administered by the Jordanian Waqf. Since receiving the national security portfolio in 2022, Ben Gvir has continuously asserted that his policy is to allow Jewish prayer at the site, flouting the longtime status quo between Israel and Jordan governing behavior atop the mount.

Ben Gvir’s previous visits to the Temple Mount have sparked fury in the Arab world.

מביט בסרטון ולא מאמין למראה עיניי: השר לביטחון לאומי, בן גביר , זה שאחראי על המשטרה, עכשיו מתפלל בהר הבית: על כזה דבר לפני שנה היו עוצרים צעירים יהודים ומרחיקים מההר. אף אחד כבר לא באמת יודע מה זה סטטוס קוו! pic.twitter.com/fzV46e5H74

— Yossi Eli (@Yossi_eli) August 3, 2025