Thousands of Jews, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir among them, entered the Temple Mount holy site in Jerusalem to mark the Tisha B’Av fast on Thursday. Some of them openly prayed, in a continued erosion of what until the past few years had been a longstanding status quo at the site.

A spokesman from Beyadenu, which advocates for Jewish worship on the Temple Mount, said that some 3,000 Jews had come to the site by midday, while hundreds were waiting in line to enter.

Hundreds more were expected to ascend the flashpoint site in the afternoon, he told The Times of Israel.

The spokesman estimated that a dozen people had been arrested for praying on the western side of the Temple Mount, as opposed to the eastern side where Jewish prayer is now de facto permitted by police.

The arrested comprise only a small number of those who have prayed at the site’s western half, he added, due to the “sheer amount” of worshipers.

Police were permitting Jewish worshipers to bring Tisha B’Av liturgical material up to the Temple Mount. Ben Gvir was seen with a prayer book and worshiped openly at the site, after having done the same on the fast day last year and on other occasions.

Jewish worshipers ascend Temple Mount on Tisha B'Av, pray and seen here performing the priestly blessing in massive departure from the status quo w/ Jordan, which ostensibly administers the site pic.twitter.com/PkQkuUpkr9 — charlie summers (@cbsu03) July 23, 2026

Jewish worshipers ascend Temple Mount on Tisha B'Av, pray and seen here performing the priestly blessing in massive departure from the status quo w/ Jordan, which ostensibly administers the site pic.twitter.com/PkQkuUpkr9

— charlie summers (@cbsu03) July 23, 2026

“Look at what’s happening here — Jews are praying and feel that they are the rightful owners here,” Ben Gvir said in a video filmed at the compound and posted on his Telegram channel.

“Everywhere, people understand that the State of Israel is the sovereign authority. There is still more to do, and with God’s help, we will continue to move forward.”

יום תשעה באב מציינים את החורבן. אבל אנחנו רואים התקדמות ענקית גם בהר הבית.........

© The Times of Israel