TEL AVIV, Israel: Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, sparked renewed outrage over the weekend by leading prayers at Jerusalem's most contested religious site, an act that drew swift international condemnation and heightened tensions amid Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.

Ben-Gvir, a prominent ultranationalist settler leader, has made repeated visits to the hilltop compound—known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif—since the Gaza war began. The site, revered in Judaism as the location of the First and Second Temples and home today to the Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third-holiest shrine, has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Confrontations there have often spiraled into broader violence.

Since Israel's capture of East Jerusalem in 1967, Jews have been allowed to visit the compound but not pray there, in line with a long-standing status quo arrangement. Palestinians view high-profile Jewish visits—particularly by political leaders—as deliberate provocations and potential steps toward asserting Israeli control over the mosque. Although most rabbis forbid Jewish prayer at the site, a growing movement has pushed to change that, with Ben-Gvir among its most vocal advocates.

The visit on August 3 coincided with Tisha B'Av, a Jewish day of mourning for the destruction of the ancient Temples. Israeli media reported it was the first time a sitting minister had openly led prayers at the site, a move widely seen as breaking with convention.

Ben-Gvir used the occasion to reiterate his hardline positions, calling for Israel to take full control of the Gaza Strip, establish sovereignty there, and promote what he described as "voluntary" migration of Palestinians from Gaza—plans Palestinians say amount to forced displacement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by insisting that the official status quo at the Temple Mount "had not changed and will not change to allow Jewish prayer."

Trained as a lawyer, Ben-Gvir became known for defending Jewish extremists accused of attacking Palestinians. His media-savvy persona propelled him into politics, winning a Knesset seat in 2021. After the 2022 elections, his Jewish Power party joined Netanyahu's far-right coalition, securing him the post of national security minister, where he oversees Israel's police.

Since then, he has championed arming Jewish citizens, taken a hard line on anti-government protests, backed Netanyahu's judicial overhaul, and openly rebuked U.S. leaders. His latest visit to the holy site is likely to deepen both domestic and international criticism of Israel's far-right policies.

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