Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir led a minyan for Mincha on Har HaBayis today, marking the first time a sitting Israeli minister has been seen publicly davening at the site.

Ben Gvir was filmed leading the minyan on Har Habayis plaza — a site where the Beis HaMikdash once stood, and which remains, according to halacha, the holiest place on Earth.

While acts of private Jewish prayer have become increasingly visible in recent years on the Har HaBayis, Ben Gvir’s action is unprecedented in its official capacity and public visibility. Police reportedly detained an Arab man who shouted at the group during the tefillah, according to Arutz Sheva.

Speaking from the site, Ben Gvir declared: “The horrific Hamas videos are aimed at one thing – pressuring the State of Israel. And I say this specifically from Har HaBayis, the place where we proved that sovereignty and governance are possible. From here we must send a clear message — conquer the entire Gaza Strip, declare sovereignty over all of Gaza, eliminate every Hamas terrorist, and encourage voluntary emigration. Only in this way will we bring the hostages home and win this war.”

Despite the minister’s actions and rhetoric, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement shortly after: “Israel’s policy of maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will remain unchanged.”

Saudi Arabia released a sharp rebuke, saying it “condemns in the strongest terms the repeated provocative practices by officials of the Israeli occupation authorities against Al-Aqsa Mosque,” warning that such actions “fuel the conflict in the region.”

Gedolei Yisrael across the spectrum — from previous generations to today’s foremost poskim — have been unequivocal in their psak: it is assur gamur, with the severity of kares, to ascend Har HaBayis in our time. This includes the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, who have repeatedly reaffirmed that visiting Har Habayis is a serious aveirah.

Seventeen years ago, during a Sukkos visit to the home of Harav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l, then-President Shimon Peres was personally urged by the Gadol Hador to prevent all Jewish visits to Har HaBayis. Rav Elyashiv warned that such provocations would be viewed by the nations of the world as deliberate incitement, and he stressed that they carry the potential to ignite a religious war.

In the eyes of gedolei Torah, such visits are not merely controversial but are acts of issur that jeopardize both spiritual and physical safety. The Chief Rabbinate has reiterated in multiple proclamations that even those who purport to purify themselves before ascending are transgressing, as the boundaries of the holy areas are not fully known, and no preparation can remove the punishment of kares for entering forbidden areas.

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