Police Draw Red Line Against Opening Temple Mount on Saturdays

The Israel Police has drawn a firm red line regarding potential changes to the status quo at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, opposing efforts by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to open the holy site to Jewish visitors on Saturdays. According to professional assessments formulated by law enforcement, the existing arrangement keeping the site closed to non-Muslim visitors on the Jewish day of rest should remain unchanged.

Under current regulations, Jewish visitors are permitted access to the Temple Mount from Sunday through Thursday during designated hours and under strict police supervision. Seeking to alter this policy, Minister Ben-Gvir formally approached Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September, urging him to advance the initiative. This push followed a High Court of Justice petition filed in early September by several Temple Mount activists against the prime minister, the national security minister, and the Jerusalem District commander, demanding an end to the blanket ban on Saturday visits.

In their petition, the activists argued that the continued closure lacks security justification, asserting that the restriction constitutes discriminatory and unreasonable policy. Concurrently, Minister Ben-Gvir championed the policy shift, stating in a letter to the prime minister that enabling Jewish access on Saturdays would strengthen Israeli sovereignty and governance at the site. Rejecting security-based objections, he contended that standing firm on national principles contributes decisively to state resilience.

Despite the minister's backing and a recent police pilot project that allowed a small group of visitors to enter under coordination with the Shin Bet, police leadership has concluded that expanding access to Saturdays is currently untenable. The state has requested additional time from the High Court of Justice to formulate its official response to the pending legal petition.