Netanyahu to hold urgent meeting on Temple Mount status quo

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold an urgent meeting on Tuesday with a limited number of ministers and the heads of the defense establishment regarding the status quo on the Temple Mount, Kan News reported on Sunday.

According to the report, the meeting will be held due to warnings by the defense establishment that the change led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is liable to lead to a significant escalation during the upcoming Jewish holidays.

Defense officials warn that harming the status quo on the Temple Mount could lead to a substantial rise in terror attacks in Israel directed by Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

Defense officials stated: "We are liable to face an event that is totally different than what we had until now." In addition, the defense establishment noted that the change in the status quo also harms relations with the moderate Sunni nations and the change is identified in discourse with those nations.

Last month, hundreds of Jews ascended the Temple Mount to mark Tisha B'Av together with National Security Minister Ben-Gvir and the Negev and Galilee Development Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf.

While on the Temple Mount, Ben-Gvir said: "There is very great progress here in governance, in sovereignty. There are pictures of Jews praying here. As I said: Our policy is to allow prayer. I say another thing: We must win this war. We must win and not go to conferences in Doha or Cairo, but to win, to bring them to their knees - that is the message. We can win against Hamas and bring them to their knees."

The Prime Minister's Office commented on the incident: "It is the government and the Prime Minister who determine policy on the Temple Mount. There is no private policy of any minister – not the National Security Minister or any other minister – on the Temple Mount. Thus it has been under all governments of Israel. This morning's incident on the Temple Mount deviated from the status quo. Israel's policy on the Temple Mount has not changed; this is how it has been and this is how it will be.