Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of a far-right religious party in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, again rejected talks with Hamas during a controversial visit to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
In a video published on X, Ben Gvir reiterated that he is against negotiations with the radical Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages still held by Hamas.
He also called for Jews to be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount, known as the Noble Sanctuary for Muslims and the third holiest site in Islam, home to the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Jews revere the Temple Mount as the site of two destroyed Jewish temples. The site is currently administered by Jordan’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, with Israel providing security. Although Jews are allowed to visit the site, they are not allowed to pray there.
After Ben-Gvir’s visit, which was seen as provocative, Netanyahu’s office said that policy on the Temple Mount had not changed. “There is no private policy of a minister,” the office said.
Prayers can be heard in the background of Ben-Gvir’s video, and Israeli media also published images of dozens of Orthodox Jews praying during the minister’s visit.
Ben-Gvir has in the past criticized the agreement with Muslim authorities as “racist” and anti-Jewish, while Palestinians fear Israel plans to expand its control over the holy sites.
According to the video, Ben-Gvir visited the Temple Mount on Tisha B’Av, a day of fasting observed by observant Jews to mark the destruction of the two temples. According to media reports, more than 1,600 people attended. The Palestinian Authority condemned the visit.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized Ben-Gvir’s “election campaign on the Temple Mount,” which “stands in complete contrast to the position of the security forces.”
The visit by a “group of irresponsible extremists” within the government put lives at risk, said Lapid, the leader of a centrist party.
