Temple Mount

Why does distance create holiness?

The Torah portions of Tazria and Metzora teach that true holiness requires balancing distance and closeness, as seen in the laws of purity that safeguard personal, family, and Temple sanctity.

I feel like the land owner:

Itamar Ben Gvir visits Temple Mount

Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visits the Temple Mount with Rabbi Elisha Wolfson, says he observes a significant change in conditions at the site and calls for continued efforts to expand Jewish presence.

Netanyahu:

'Prayer is as important as protests'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the Supreme Court's decision to allow demonstrations in Tel Aviv, noting there are restrictions on prayer at the Western Wall during the Passover holiday.

Police request approval to open Western Wall and Temple Mount

Police presented a plan to the Supreme Court to allow worshippers into the Western Wall and the Temple Mount in small groups of up to 150 people, with immediate evacuation in the event of an alert.

Court rules Passover sacrifice attempts a legitimate protest

Judge Shmuel Herbst in his decision reviewed the importance of the commandment of the Passover offering and declared that there were no grounds for an extended order removing those attempting it from the city.

Muslim doctor caught smuggling 2,000-year-old coins at checkpoint

Under the pretext of Ramadan Temple Mount prayers: Muslim hospital doctor caught at the Hizma Checkpoint attempting to smuggle rare 2,000-year-old coins engraved in ancient Hebrew script into Israel.

Arabs Against Iran:

'Khamenei is doing what Ben-Gvir and Smotrich couldn't'

The Arab world has become increasingly critical of the debris strikes from Iranian missiles near Islamic holy sites.

Arab parties to Netanyahu: Remove limits on Temple Mount prayer

Hadash and Ta'al, two of the Knesset's Arab parties, claim unfair discrimination against Muslims wishing to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque, ignoring closure of workplaces and schools throughout Israel.

'Secret base’ on the Temple Mount sparks Palestinian anger

Right-wing activist Baruch Marzel sparked a viral stir with an AI-generated image of fighter jets over the Temple Mount, drawing over 100,000 views and sharp criticism from the Palestinian Authority.

PLO warns against Passover Sacrifice on Temple Mount

The Palestine Liberation Organization denies the historical and religious Jewish connection to the Temple Mount and warns against plans to perform the Passover sacrifice during the upcoming holiday.

Prison for Temple Mount desecration?

The coalition backed the vote, but it has sparked controversy over whether it would also apply to visits to the Temple Mount, which the Chief Rabbinate opposes.

Why 2026 is the year Israel finally stopped fearing Ramadan

When Israel retreated from its holiest site during Ramadan, it fueled the hope that the Jewish state can eventually be pushed out of Jerusalem entirely. No more. Op-ed.

Parashat Teruma:

The Mishkan - a new era

The construction of the Mikdash/Mishkan/Tent of Meeting transformed us from a collection of families to a united nation, united in in our worship of G-d.

Historic changes on the Temple Mount

Visiting hours for Jews ascending Temple Mount during Ramadan to be expanded.

MK Amit Halevi

Don't change Jewish prayers on Temple Mount during Ramadan

MK Amit Halevi went to the Temple Mount, attacked the decision to limit Jewish entry during the afternoon during Ramadan, and demanded that the existing order be maintained.

When Jews allow themselves to be Jews the world takes note

Humbling ourselves before G-d means strengthening ourselves before others.

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu: This is why fewer Arabs visit Temple Mount

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu says number of Arabs visiting Temple Mount has dropped by half - and shares why.

Shoe rack installed on Temple Mount with police approval

Jerusalem District Commissioner Avshalom Peled approved the placement of an organized shoe rack at the entrance to the Temple Mount, ending the practice of leaving shoes in piles.

More religious freedoms granted to Jews on Temple Mount

Police will allow Jews to enter their holiest site with approved prayer sheets after years of non-Muslim prayer being prohibited at the site.

Temple Mount:

Antiquities Authority re-covers temple remains

The Beyadenu movement demanded that the protective coverings be returned to wooden beams, some dated as far back as King Solomon, before the onset of the winter rains.

In solidarity with Australian Jews

Levite choir sings on the Temple Mount

A group of Levites sang the final verse of 'Maoz Tzur' at Judaism's holiest site in memory of the victims of the horrific terror attack in Sydney.

Menorah of Cast Lead:

Rare pendant decorated with a menorah uncovered on Temple Mount

How did an ancient pendant made of cast lead, decorated on both sides with a seven-branched menorah, come to Jerusalem at a time when Jewish presence in the city was restricted?

Half a year ago:

Victim of Sydney massacre looks out over Temple Mount

Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a Chabad emissary in Sydney, Australia, who was murdered in the shooting attack in the city, visited the roof of the Machkameh synagogue, at the edge of the Temple Mount.

Ben Gvir slams former Shin Bet chief: A failure

National Security Minister sharply rebukes Ronen Bar after former Shin Bet head claims Ben Gvir's visits to the Temple Mount contributed to Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

Friendly state?

UAE echoes anti-Israel language in harsh condemnation

Despite normalization, UAE echoes adversarial rhetoric in condemning Israel’s actions in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, drawing closer to regional critics.

Qatar slams Jewish visitors to Temple Mount

Qatari Foreign Ministry claims attempt to 'harm' Al Aqsa Mosque is an attack on millions of Muslims worldwide.

The Temple Mount and Al Aksa:

The Peace Plan turns a blind eye to the real, real estate issue

Since Hamas named the Gaza war the “Al Aqsa Flood,” at some point, doesn’t Israel need to respond? Opinion.

Temple Mount: problem and solution

Is there any hope on the horizon for a reversal from seemingly universal Muslim antagonism toward the “devious Jew” to peaceful accommodation with the Jewish Abrahamic brother? Read a possible Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi Legacy. Opinion.

First time in Jerusalem:

Assyrian inscription from the First Temple period discovered

Assyrian cuneiform inscription, estimated to be 2,700 years old, offers rare evidence of official correspondence between the Assyrian Empire and the Kingdom of Judah.

MK Tzvi Succot waves the Four Species on the Temple Mount

MK Succot ascended the Temple Mount and declared that the real 'Al-Aqsa Flood' - the name Hamas used for the October 7th massacre - was only beginning.

Jewish activist with goat arrested near Temple Mount

Jewish activist arrested near gates of Jerusalem's Old City while making his way to the Temple Mount with a goat for sacrifice.

Watch:

Ben Gvir prays on Temple Mount, reciting 'Kedusha' prayer

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir ascends Temple Mount in honor of Sukkot holiday, to pray 'for the destruction of Hamas and the return of the hostages.'

Rosh Hashanah stats:

Sharp rise in number of Jewish visitors to Temple Mount

Under National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's policy, the number of Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount on Rosh Hashanah has nearly doubled, records show.

Yehudah Glick:

'Jews and Christians will pray for Charlie on the Temple Mount'

Former MK Yehudah Glick, himself the survivor of an assassination attempt, will lead a prayer gathering of Jews and Christians at 'the house of prayer for all nations.'

Why I prayed on Temple Mount this morning

The day we take the Temple Mount back, the day we free our oldest hostage, that’s the day we’ll also free all the others. Op-ed.

On his wedding day

Rabbi Leo Dee detained on Temple Mount

Rabbi Leo Dee, who lost his wife and two daughters in a 2023 terror attack, was detained on the Temple Mount for praying with tefillin and banned for a week, just hours before his wedding.

Hamas decries 'provocative Jewish rituals' on the Temple Mount

Hamas-affiliated media condemned Jewish worship on the Temple Mount during Elul’s start, calling shofar blowing, dancing, and prayers a 'flagrant violation' of al-Aqsa Mosque.

PA claims:

Shofar blowing a 'dangerous tool' at Al-Aqsa

The PA accuses Israel of using the shofar to impose sovereignty and erode the Islamic character of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Hamas denounces Jewish prayer on Temple Mount on Rosh Hashanah

Ha'arun Nasser al-Din, the Hamas official overseeing Jerusalem affairs, issued a warning against what he described as “settler incitement” to increase Jewish visits to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday.

Unity on the Temple Mount: New body to lead Jewish ascents

Following a significant increase in the number of visitors ascending the Temple Mount, the organizations operating at the site have decided to unite under a joint steering committee to represent the needs of Jewish visitors.

Deputy Foreign Minister:

'Appropriate response to France - close down the consulate'

Deputy Foreign Minister MK Sharren Haskel responds to threats aimed at her family following her visit to the Temple Mount: 'Red lines have been crossed.'

First time in thousands of years:

Jewish minister leads prayers on the Temple Mount

Thousands ascend to pray; Jews allowed to sing, prostrate under new policy hailed as historic change in worship rights at Judaism’s holiest site.

1,200 participants complete circuit of Temple Mount gates

About 1,200 participants from all over the country circled the Temple Mount to pray at each of the gates.

Ben-Gvir orders singing to be allowed on Temple Mount

For the first time in years, Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount were allowed to sing and dance freely throughout the holy site, in accordance with a new policy set by Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir.

Watch:

Jews dance and bow down on the Temple Mount

Jews were documented this morning dancing and bowing on the Temple Mount during a visit to the site.

Six Days in June:

Looking back at the liberation of The Temple Mount

Moshe Dayan gave away the holiest spot in Judaism because he believed it would bring peace. Instead, it became an opportunity for the Palestinian Arabs to bring violence upon Israel. Opinion.

Hamas:

'Israel is escalating the religious war'

A senior Hamas official claims that Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount reflects Israel’s attempt to Judaize Jerusalem as part of the religious war it is waging.

Qatar:

Ben Gvir visit to Temple Mount 'provocation to over 1b Muslims'

Qatari FM warns Israel’s actions on 'occupied Palestinian land' and in Gaza will 'escalate regional violence,' and derail two-state solution.

Jerusalem Day:

MK Tzvi Succot raises Israeli flag on Temple Mount

MK Tzvi Succot ascends Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day, raising Israeli flag, praying for victory in the war and the safe return of hostages, and emphasizing the importance of Jewish sovereignty on the sacred site.

Ben-Gvir visits Temple Mount for Jerusalem Day

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir ascended the Temple Mount for Jerusalem Day together with members of the Otzma Yehudit party.

Senior religious Zionist rabbis warn against Temple Mount visits

Dozens of rabbis argue that visits to the holiest site in Judaism during wartime do not strengthen Israel’s connection to the Temple Mount but rather harm it and undermine the broader effort against the enemy.

Hamas calls on Arabs to fight Jerusalem Day Flag March

Hamas official accuses Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of encouraging the Temple Mount organizations to 'invade' the al-Aqsa Mosque and to 'desecrate it.'

PA outraged: Ben Gvir encouraging Jewish visits to Temple Mount

PA’s foreign affairs bureau calls on the international community and the UN Security Council to take practical steps to protect Jerusalem and its holy sites.

After Temple Mount visit

Hamas threatens MK Tzvi Succot

The terror organization condemned the 'frantic attempts to Judaize and seize Islamic holy sites' and called on Muslims to rise up to defend the site. Succot: 'The days of fear are over.'

Significant increase in Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount

First days of Passover see 30% rise in the number of Jewish visitors ascending and praying on the Temple Mount.

2 citizens charged with planning terror attack on Temple Mount

Indictment filed against 2 Galilee residents for contact with terrorist elements, planning a stabbing attack on the Temple Mount and attempting to join the Tulkarm Brigades.

Hamas fears sacrifices on Temple Mount

Hamas channels are warning that Israelis attempting to offer the Passover lamb on the Temple Mount are a prelude to Israel attempting to replace the mosques with the Third Temple.

Ben Gvir ascends Temple Mount

After 13 days during which the Temple Mount was closed to Jews, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir ascends, drawing criticism from haredi MK.

Ritchie Torres:

'Israel is a responsible guardian of the Abrahamic tradition

Democratic Congressmen notes how 80,000 Muslims were able to pray on the Temple Mount for the first day of Ramadan under Israeli rule while Jews were banned from the Western Wall under Jordanian rule.

Elon Moreh:

Learning to prepare the Omer offering

Group of volunteers convenes in Elon Moreh to practice preparation of the Omer offering, the sacrifice that is offered in the Temple immediately after Passover.