National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir ascended the Temple Mount on Tisha B'Av Thursday morning in a visit that encapsulates the deepening political and religious divide over Jewish presence at the holiest contested site in Judaism.
Ben Gvir was accompanied by Minister Yitzhak Waserlauf, Knesset Member Sharan Haskel (who recently left the Derech Yerushalayim faction), and MK Nissim Vaturi. The group visited early in the morning, backed by security detail, during the solemn fast day commemorating the destruction of both Temples.
"We see enormous progress here," Ben Gvir said during the visit. "Jews are praying and feeling like they own the place. This has never happened here before. We've reduced attacks by 85 percent. Everywhere people understand that the State of Israel is in control. There's still more to do, but with God's help, we will advance."
The visit reflects Ben Gvir's political positioning within the Netanyahu coalition: a nationalist assertion of Jewish sovereignty at a site where Palestinian authority and international law treat Jewish prayer with particular sensitivity. The Temple Mount remains under the nominal control of the Waqf (Islamic religious endowment), with Israeli security forces managing access.
2,000+ Jews Visit; Massive Turnout Despite Rabbinical Opposition
Over 2,000 Jews ascended the Temple Mount on Tisha B'Av, marking a significant surge in visitation. The Temple Mount Authority reported a roughly 20 percent increase in visitors compared to the same period last year—a jump attributed in part to a recent surprising statement from the Admor of Imshinov permitting ascent under certain conditions.
Thousands of others gathered instead at the Western Wall in the Old City, where the crowds engaged in traditional lamentations and prayer. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was among those who gathered at the Western Wall to commemorate the fast day.
Haredi Leaders Oppose Religious Establishment
The visit and the surge in Temple Mount ascents have triggered sharp condemnation from leading Haredi figures and Haredi religious authorities. Many major rabbinic leaders maintain an absolute prohibition on ascending to the Temple Mount, based on traditional rulings regarding ritual purity and sacred space. The Haredi press, particularly Yated Ne'eman, has criticized the practice, calling it a desecration of the holy site.
The comments section on social media reflected the divide, with supporters praising sovereignty and critics citing rabbinical opposition and the phrase "foxes walked upon it" - a reference to Lamentations used to describe the violated sanctuary.
The visit occurs amid ongoing tensions between Israel's right-wing government and both the traditional and ultra-Orthodox rabbinic establishment over how Israel should conduct itself at religiously sensitive sites.
