Ben-Gvir Prays at Al-Aqsa Compound Under Police Guard

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday. He entered under heavy police protection alongside several settlers and rabbis to perform prayers inside the holy site.

Circulating images showed the minister performing rituals in the eastern section of the mosque courtyards. An official from the Islamic Endowments Department confirmed his entry with guards. This act violates the status quo arrangement that has been in place since 1967.

Under current rules, non-Muslims are permitted to visit the compound but not pray. Ben-Gvir ignored these restrictions during his incursion. He declared plans to alter the historical status of Islam’s third-holiest site for Muslims worldwide.

The minister stated that prayer was forbidden when he was young but now sees redemption. He called for blowing the shofar and building a temple gradually. His remarks signal a clear intent to change the existing religious dynamics at the location.

This provocative act comes nearly two months before Israel’s general elections scheduled for Oct. 27. The Jerusalem governorate condemned the incursion as a dangerous escalation. They described it as a flagrant violation of the mosque’s legal and historical status.

Ben-Gvir has stormed the compound several times since taking office in 2022. His actions draw widespread Palestinian and international condemnation. Israeli police have allowed settler incursions daily since 2003, except on Fridays and Saturdays each week.