“Extremist” Temple Mount activists are “exploiting” backing by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and a lack of enforcement to “fundamentally alter the status quo” at the holy site, Democrats MK Gilad Kariv said.

In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and the heads of the National Security Council, IDF, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and Israel Police, Kariv warned that these actives are “creating a clear danger of violent escalation, bloodshed, and significant harm to the country’s international relations.”

In the letter, which was publicized on Monday, Kariv mentioned two recent incidents. The first was on May 13, when activists attempted to bring a live goat onto the Temple Mount as a sacrifice.

The second was on Shavuot when worshipers, including two dressed as “high priests,” attempted to conduct a religious ceremony. Kariv wrote that, to the best of his knowledge, the perpetrators were not apprehended in either case.

The “extremists” are “repeatedly pushing the boundaries and deliberately escalating tensions on the Temple Mount,” Kariv wrote. He added that the activists’ actions were an issue of national security, as they could harm Israel’s relations with Jordan, which was monitoring the situation closely.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visits Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Jerusalem Day, May 26, 2025. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visits Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Jerusalem Day, May 26, 2025. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
The attempts to push the envelope on the Temple Mount needed to be viewed within the context of a “sweeping change” in the Israel Police’s “norms of enforcement” of the status quo on the Temple Mount, the MK said, adding that the “warning signs” of potential violence were “on the wall” and needed to be addressed.

“I urge you to formulate a clear policy on this matter at a practical level and not merely rely on the general declarations previously made by the prime minister, which do not reflect the reality on the ground,” he continued.

Ben-Gvir claims Temple Mount status quo has changed, PMO denies

Since taking office in late 2022, Ben-Gvir has repeatedly announced that the status quo on the Temple Mount had changed and that Jewish prayer was permitted.

The Prime Minister’s Office repeatedly responded that nothing had changed. However, it did not reply to Ben-Gvir’s latest statement on the issue, which he made on Jerusalem Day on May 26.