Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, Sunday evening, that the handling of Jews going up to the Temple Mount during the day was done with his explicit guidance. He explained, "On Thursday, after consulting with all the security forces, I made a decision. This year, too, as every year, Jews will ascend to the Temple Mount on the 9th of Av, even when it is a Muslim holiday. The question was not at all whether they would go up, but how to best manage it for public safety and that's how we did it."
Netanyahu added, "I'm not impressed by all the recommendations of the Twitter Cabinet, the various kinds of tweeters. Leadership is responsibility and determination. This is how we acted, that is how we will continue to operate."