PM’s office insists Temple Mount status quo unchanged after Ben Gvir’s public prayer

The Prime Minister’s Office says that “Israel’s policy of maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will not change,” following National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s public prayer at the site earlier today.

Ben Gvir was seen leading the “Amida” prayer with a group of Jewish worshipers during a Tisha B’Av visit — the first time the far-right leader has prayed openly at the flashpoint compound. The move appeared to defy the longstanding status quo, under which Jews may visit but not pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound, which is administered by the Jordanian Waqf.

Ben Gvir has long called for Jewish prayer rights at the site, and his previous visits have drawn sharp condemnation across the Arab world.

In addition, many Jewish religious authorities have long proscribed visits to the site, due to concerns of treading on holy ground while ritually impure.