Ben-Gvir says Israel has ‘restored sovereignty’ on the Temple Mount

The Temple Mount is considered the holiest site in Judaism.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declared that Israel had “restored sovereignty” on the Temple Mount during a Jerusalem Day visit to the holy site Thursday, ahead of the annual Flag March through Jerusalem’s Old City.

Ben-Gvir ascended the Temple Mount in the Old City and said the site was now “in our hands,” linking what he described as increased Israeli control to security policies implemented during his tenure.

Prior to the Flag March, Ben-Gvir declared that he had “restored sovereignty on the Temple Mount thanks to determination and deterrence.”

In a post on X, he wrote that “59 years after the liberation of Jerusalem, I raised the flag of Israel on the Temple Mount, and it can be said with pride: We have restored sovereignty to the Temple Mount.

“This year saw the quietest Ramadan in many long years, thanks to hard work, determined policy, and police officers and fighters who worked day and night for the security of Israeli citizens and the maintenance of order in Jerusalem.

“Today, more than ever – the Temple Mount is in our hands! Happy Jerusalem Day.”

Ben-Gvir has repeatedly challenged the longstanding status quo arrangement governing the Temple Mount, established after Israel captured the Old City in 1967.

Under the arrangement, Israel maintains overall security control while the Jordanian-administered Islamic Waqf oversees daily administration of the compound.

The rules permit non-Muslims to visit the site but prohibit formal prayer by non-Muslims within the compound, while Muslim worship is allowed.

The security minister has openly prayed at the site on multiple occasions and has encouraged Jewish prayer and prostration at the compound, actions viewed as departures from the longstanding protocol.

The Temple Mount is considered the holiest site in Judaism.

Later Thursday, Israel Police announced the arrest of a suspect accused of planning a terror attack during Jerusalem Day events. Police did not immediately release further details about the alleged plot or the identity of the suspect.