'I am the political echelon': Ben-Gvir encourages Jewish prayer on Temple Mount

The government's policy is that Jews may pray at the Temple Mount, contrary to the status quo that has existed at the site for decades, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said at a conference in the Knesset on Wednesday.

"I am the political echelon, and the political echelon permits prayer at the Temple Mount," Ben-Gvir said at the conference, whose title was "Israel's Return to the Temple Mount."

"It is not a secret that I had an argument with the prime minister about closing the Temple Mount [for Jews] during the last 10 days of Ramadan, I thought that the Temple Mount should not be closed [for Jews] even for a minute," Ben-Gvir said.

"But I remember that there were days when they shouted 'Alla Akhbar' and I yelled back 'Shema Yisrael' and was arrested. Today it is different, many people enter the site, proudly circle it and pray, and this is how it should be," Ben-Gvir added.

The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement a few hours later: "Israel's policy to maintain the status quo at the Temple Mount has not, and will not change."

MKs respond to Ben-Gvir

A number of ministers and MKs criticized his comments.

"Just as Ben Gvir did not decide on the framework of Temple Mount visitations during Ramadan, so he does not decide on the subject today," National Unity MK Benny Gantz said. "Instead of holding negotiations to include him in a small security decision-making forum, all decision-making authorities on sensitive security subjects should be taken from him," Gantz said.

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel (Shas) criticized Ben-Gvir in the Knesset plenum, arguing that Israel's Chief Rabbinate has ruled that visiting the Temple Mount was prohibited and that Ben-Gvir's actions were a "desecration of God's name."

MK Mansour Abbas (Ra'am) said in the Knesset plenum, "Ben-Gvir is playing with war issues and looking for any way to ignite the Arab society, and therefore today declares a change of policy." United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni voiced similar criticism and demanded that no policy change occur at the Temple Mount.

MK Walid Walid al-Hawashla (Ra'am) said that he expected to hear an "immediate, clear, and unequivocal denial by the government."

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, "a pyromaniac who is trying to ignite the Middle East."

Gallant also said he would oppose any negotiations to allow Ben-Gvir to join the war cabinet as this "could allow him to actualize his plans."

Following the responses, Ben-Gvir stated, "The duo Gallant and Deri" "opposes my joining the limited forum: because my concept is that a decision should be made in both the South and the North, and the hostages should be returned , but not through surrender - but through military pressure and determination."

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.