[Today's Prayer] Banned Jewish Public Prayer on the Temple Mount… A Far-Right Minister's Tactic

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a far-right politician, has sparked controversy both domestically and internationally after leading his followers in a public prayer service on the Holy Mount in East Jerusalem.

The act by a sitting Israeli minister in a place where Jewish religious services are banned is being interpreted as a blatant expression of provocation against neighboring Arab countries and domestic and international opponents.

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Media outlets explained that this violated decades-old international agreements governing the site's management to prevent conflict.

This site, known as the "Temple Mount," is the site of the ancient Temple of Yahweh of the Kingdom of Judah, destroyed approximately 2,000 years ago. It is the holiest site in Judaism.

This hill was the site of the Second Temple, built around 516 BC and destroyed by the Romans around 70 AD. It was the heart of Judaism at the time.

According to Jewish tradition, the First Temple, built during the reign of King Solomon and destroyed by the Neo-Babylonian invasion in 587 BC, also stood on this hill.

In Islam, this hill has been considered a holy site since the early days of the Prophet Muhammad's ministry (ca. 570–632 AD), and there is a legend that he ascended to heaven and returned from here.

For this reason, East Jerusalem, including the hill where the Al-Aqsa Mosque stands, is considered the third most important site in Islam, after Mecca and Medina.

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Jordan currently enforces regulations governing the holy site, including that while Jews and Christians can visit the Al-Aqsa Hill, non-Muslim religious ceremonies are prohibited there.

This rule is often referred to as the "status quo."

According to local Israeli media outlets, this is the first time a sitting Israeli minister has violated the "status quo" rule and held a public Jewish prayer service on the grounds of the Temple Mount.

The date on which Minister Ben Gvir held the public prayer service is also symbolic, synergistic with the location, further fueling the controversy.

It was Tisha B'Av, the Jewish annual fasting day, a day to mourn, reflect, and remember the suffering of the Jewish people, including the destruction of the First and Second Temples on the Temple Mount.

Neighboring countries, including Jordan, the Palestinian Authority (PA), Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, issued statements condemning Minister Gvir's actions.

Criticism has also been mounting within Israel.

The left-leaning daily Haaretz described his actions as "pouring gasoline on a fire."

Haaretz points out that, as the Minister of National Security, responsible for public safety and commanding the police, he is responsible for ensuring that the "status quo" rules are followed, yet he has taken the lead in violating them and inciting them.

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Source: Yonhap News

“Thus says the Lordwho made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” (Jeremiah 33:2-3)

Father God, we hear that the right-wing politician and Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is leading his followers in a public prayer meeting on a hill in the Holy Land in East Jerusalem, sparking controversy both domestically and internationally.

As neighboring Middle Eastern nations condemned the incumbent Israeli minister for breaking the "status quo" rule and holding the first public Jewish prayer service on the Temple Mount grounds, we pray that the Israeli government will wisely resolve the situation.

We believe that the solution to the deep conflict between Israel and the Middle East surrounding Jerusalem is not worldly politics or methods, but the gospel and love of Jesus, who will save Israel and the Middle East.