Archive · 21 Sep 2026
Itamar Ben-Gvir Enters Al-Aqsa With 570 Settlers
Itamar Ben-Gvir, an Israeli government minister, visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound with 570 Israeli settlers.
They went there shortly before Yom Kippur, an important Jewish holy day.
Ben-Gvir prayed and carried out Jewish rituals in the area.
The site is also called Al-Haram Al-Sharif and is one of the most sensitive religious places in the region.
Under an existing arrangement, Muslims pray there, while Jewish and Christian visitors may visit but are not supposed to pray there.
Jordan helps oversee the site’s religious administration, while Israel controls security around it.
Jordan and the Palestinian Authority said the visit violated the site’s established arrangements.
Ben-Gvir has called for greater access for Jewish worshippers, raising fears of more conflict.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound with 570 Israeli settlers on Sunday.
Ben-Gvir toured the courtyards and performed Jewish prayers and Talmudic rituals in the compound’s eastern area.
The visit occurred ahead of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, amid heavy security.
Jordan and the Palestinian Authority condemned the incursion as a threat to the site’s historic and legal status quo.
Ben-Gvir’s visit was described as his 17th incursion into the compound since taking office in 2023.
- Who
- Itamar Ben-Gvir, 570 Israeli settlers, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, and the Jerusalem Awqaf Administration.
- What
- Ben-Gvir entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and performed Jewish prayers and Talmudic rituals there.
- When
- Sunday, ahead of the Yom Kippur period; Benjamin Netanyahu visited nearby tunnels on Saturday.
- Where
- The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, also known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, in occupied East Jerusalem.
- Why
- Ben-Gvir has urged greater access for Jewish worshippers, while critics said the visit threatened the site’s historic and legal status quo.
Condemnation and Status Quo
Greater Jewish Access
Religious access
Condemnation and Status Quo
The Palestinian Authority, Jordan, and the Awqaf administration said the prayers and rituals violated the site’s sanctity and threatened its historic and legal status quo.
Greater Jewish Access
Itamar Ben-Gvir has urged that Jewish worshippers receive greater access to Al-Aqsa, which Jews refer to as the Temple Mount.
Regional consequences
Condemnation and Status Quo
The Palestinian Authority called the visit intentional religious warfare and a direct threat to regional stability; the Awqaf warned it could fuel anger among Muslims worldwide.
Greater Jewish Access
The article reports Ben-Gvir’s position on greater Jewish worship but does not provide a detailed public response from him to the latest condemnations.
- Participants
- Itamar Ben-Gvir and 570 Israeli settlers
- Location
- Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, occupied East Jerusalem
- Timing
- Sunday, ahead of Yom Kippur
- Religious actions
- Jewish prayers and Talmudic rituals were performed in the compound
- Condemnations
- Jordan and the Palestinian Authority condemned the visit
- Site administration
- The Jordan-based Jerusalem Awqaf Administration holds legal custodianship, while Israel manages border and external security
- Reported frequency
- The article describes this as Ben-Gvir’s 17th incursion since he took office in 2023