Palestine

5K Jewish Visitors, Including Ben-Gvir, Enter Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound

Is Jewish worship at the Temple Mount a rightful spiritual reclamation or a deliberate assault on Muslim rights?

Published 2 days ago

5K Jewish Visitors, Including Ben-Gvir, Enter Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound

Story

Above: Itamar Ben Gvir (C) enters Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on July 23, 2026. Image credit: Ilia Yefimovich/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-Israel narrative

Tisha B'Av brought thousands of Jewish worshipers to the Temple Mount, marking a profound shift in Jewish presence at Judaism's holiest site. Ben-Gvir pointed to an 85% reduction in terrorist attacks as proof that Israeli sovereignty is being felt across the region. Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount is the natural expression of a people reclaiming their deepest historical and spiritual connections.

Itamar Ben-Gvir on X The Jerusalem Post

Anti-Israel narrative

This is a deliberate assault on Muslim worship rights and a systematic attempt to redraw the legal and historical status quo. The entire 144-dunam compound is exclusively a Muslim place of worship, and no occupation authority has sovereignty over Jerusalem's holy sites. The international community must step up and force Israel to stop these unilateral provocations before irreversible damage is done.

Quds News Network on X WAFA News Agency