Saudi Arabia condemns Ben Gvir over ‘storming’ of the Temple Mount

By Nurit Yohanan

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8 October 2025, 3:50 pm

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Nurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is seen at the entrance to the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City. October 8, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90)

The Saudi Foreign Ministry issues a condemnation of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s ascent to the Temple Mount earlier today.

The statement does not mention Ben Gvir by name, but says that Saudi Arabia condemns “the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by Israeli officials and settlers under the protection of the occupation forces.”

“Saudi Arabia stresses its rejection of any tampering with the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its holy sites, and demands that the international community hold the Israeli occupation authorities accountable for their dangerous and ongoing violations against the holy places,” it adds.

Ben Gvir led prayers atop the flashpoint site and declared that Israel was now “the landlords on the Temple Mount.”