Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly backed National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in his push to allow Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, reinforcing Jewish rights at the holiest site in Judaism.
As reported by The Jewish Chronicle, Netanyahu rejected claims that the policy represents a break from long-standing arrangements governing the site.
“The changes Ben-Gvir is making are not changing the status quo and it is in coordination with me. I decide on the policy,” Netanyahu told reporters.
The Temple Mount is the site of the First and Second Temples and the only location where a Jewish Temple has ever stood. While it also houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque and is administered by the Jerusalem Waqf, Israel controls security and access. For decades, Jewish prayer on the mount has been unofficially prohibited, even as Muslim worship continues uninterrupted — a reality many Israelis view as an unjust restriction on Jewish religious freedom.
The Temple Mount is open to non-Muslims only Sunday–Thursday, early morning hours only, and closed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Muslim holidays.
— Betar Worldwide (@Betar_USA) January 11, 2026
Non-Muslims:
• May walk the plaza
• Cannot enter the Dome of the Rock or Al-Aqsa
• Must follow strict dress and movement rules
•… pic.twitter.com/ULtbPKGJ6P
Ben-Gvir has long challenged that policy and said last May that it is his position to allow Jewish prayer on the mount, “including full prostration.” Netanyahu’s endorsement makes clear that the Israeli government is asserting its authority over the site and rejecting claims that Jewish worship there is illegitimate.
Ben-Gvir has also suggested building a synagogue on the mount, drawing condemnation from Washington at the time. Then, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, a member of the Biden administration, said such statements “only sow chaos and exacerbate tensions” and warned they “directly undermine Israel’s security.” Netanyahu has since dismissed internal and external criticism, insisting Ben-Gvir will not be removed from his post.
The Temple Mount at the center of end-times prophecy
These developments are not merely political. Scripture is unambiguous: a rebuilt Temple stands in Jerusalem in the last days. The book of Revelation speaks plainly of a functioning Temple, and history confirms there is only one place on earth where such a Temple can exist: the Temple Mount.
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What is unfolding now is the real-time ordering of biblical prophecy. The growing international pressure against Israel, the fixation of the nations on Jerusalem and the intensifying conflict over the Temple Mount are exactly what the Bible prophesied.
Israel, though small in size, stands at the center of global controversy because God placed His name there.
While no one knows the exact day or hour of the Lord’s return, Scripture teaches that the season will be unmistakable. The reassertion of Jewish control and worship rights on the Temple Mount is a critical marker in that prophetic timeline.
Jerusalem is once again the focal point of the world, and the Temple Mount is at the heart of it all, just as the Bible said it would be.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
