Ben-Gvir Leads Hundreds Into Al-Aqsa Compound During Sukkot
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led hundreds of Israelis into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem under police protection on September 28, 2026. Al Jazeera The entry occurred on the third day of Sukkot, a week-long Jewish holiday.
The Jerusalem governorate said Israeli forces closed intersections and streets surrounding the Old City leading to the compound that morning. Police controlled access. The governorate reported that 900 people entered the compound in the morning hours.
During the entry, Ben-Gvir declared "we are the owners of the place in Al-Aqsa." The language echoed a previous visit, when he said Jews praying and feeling like "owners of the place" had never happened before. NBC News During that earlier visit he also spoke of "huge progress on the Temple Mount." Reuters
Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh described the September 28 entry as "playing with fire and a dangerous provocation." Jordan's Foreign Ministry condemned a recent incursion as an "unacceptable provocation." Middle East Eye Foreign Ministry spokesperson Fuad Al-Majali reaffirmed Jordan's rejection and condemnation of continued incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque led by Ben-Gvir. Jordan has previously accused Ben-Gvir of storming Al-Aqsa by visiting the Temple Mount.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said dozens of Palestinian shop, cafe and restaurant owners in the Cotton Merchants Market in Jerusalem's Old City were forced to close during the Sukkot holiday to make way for Jewish prayers. The market sits along a route used by visitors and worshippers in the Old City.
The compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Times of Israel Think of it as one walled hilltop sacred to two faiths, with different names for the same space. Since 2003, Israeli police have allowed groups of Israelis to enter daily except Fridays and Saturdays. Ben-Gvir has repeatedly demanded that police allow Jews to pray at the Temple Mount.
The September 28 visit follows other ministerial visits. Ben-Gvir visited on July 23, 2026, and praised Jewish visitors he said had prayed at the site. Reuters He visited on April 12, 2026, when he said he was seeking greater access for Jewish worshippers. Reuters On August 31, 2026, he entered the compound in occupied East Jerusalem and performed prayers there. On August 3, 2025, he visited and said he prayed there.
The broader context here is the shift from private visits to state-weighted presence. A national security minister enters with the police force he oversees, speaks in terms of ownership, and is counted alongside hundreds of others during a religious holiday. For officials who manage Jerusalem, that combination affects crowd control, access restrictions, and commercial life in the Old City on the same day.
Looking at what this means for diplomacy, the responses map the channels most likely to activate next. The Palestinian presidency frames the entry as provocation. Jordan, which comments consistently on Temple Mount entries, frames it as rejection of incursions. Holiday-period entries have previously produced parallel claims over numbers, access, and prayer. Experts will watch whether policing arrangements, market closures, and ministerial language become routine or trigger formal diplomatic exchanges.
