Jewish men permitted to pray on Temple Mount, bring prayer books for first time

Jewish men were permitted to bring prayer books onto the Temple Mount on Sunday, a significant shift in the site's long-standing status quo. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir confirmed the development to The Jerusalem Post after right-wing journalist Arnon Segel shared a photo of Jewish men praying with books at the holy site.

Segel claimed the experiment was intended to gauge reactions, stating, "Still no blanket permit, but an initial experiment aimed at ensuring the Middle East doesn't lose its mind over this." The minister offered no further comment, and the Israel Police were also approached for their reaction.

Under the established status quo, Jews and Christians are allowed to visit the Temple Mount but are generally forbidden from praying there. Muslims, however, are permitted to worship. In January, Israeli police began easing some of these restrictions, allowing Jewish visitors to enter with a single printed prayer page prepared in advance, though full prayer books remained prohibited.

This latest development suggests a further, albeit experimental, relaxation of rules regarding Jewish prayer at the sensitive site, which is holy to both Judaism and Islam.