National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir made a statement today, revealing that he had visited the Har Habayis earlier in the day and davened there.

The Prime Minister’s Office responded immediately, clarifying that the established status quo, which prohibits Jewish prayer on the Har Habayis, remained unchanged.

“I went up this morning to the place of our holy temple, to pray for the safety of our soldiers, the speedy return of the hostages, and total victory, with the help of God,” Ben Gvir posted on X, sharing an image of himself walking at the site.

In response to his visit, the Prime Minister’s Office swiftly released a statement affirming, “The status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed.”

Knesset member Mansour Abbas, from the Islamist Ra’am party, condemned Ben Gvir’s actions, accusing the far-right minister of “desecrating the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

The Hamas terror group reacted to Ben Gvir’s visit by calling on Palestinians to “confront the occupation and to escalate the situation.”

While Jews are not officially permitted to daven at the Har Habayis, the Israel Police, under Ben Gvir’s ministry, has increasingly allowed limited Jewish prayer in the area.

The current status quo at the Har Habayis permits Muslims to pray freely and generally enter the site without restrictions, whereas non-Muslims, including Jews, are only allowed to visit during certain times and are prohibited from praying.

{Matzav.com Israel}