Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has spoken out against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's insistence that the government allow Jewish prayer atop the Temple Mount, calling it a “dangerous, unnecessary and irresponsible” act that will undermine the status quo and harm Muslim-Jewish relations.

“Ben Gvir’s actions endanger Israel’s national security and its international standing,” Gallant wrote on X Monday morning. “The action the IDF took yesterday to thwart a Hezbollah attack strengthened Israel, Ben Gvir’s statements weaken it.”

Gallant referred to far right extremist Ben Gvir’s repetition on Monday of his belief that the government’s policy does in fact allow Jews to pray atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, traditionally a Muslim-only place of worship, which prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reiterate in a short statement that “there is no change to the status quo” barring Jews from worshiping at their holiest site.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has called National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's statements on the Temple Mount "dangerous" for Israeli security. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“The policies on the Temple Mount allow prayer, period,” Ben Gvir told Army Radio earlier Monday. “The premier knows that when I joined the government, I said in the simplest way that there will be no discrimination at the Temple Mount, just like Muslims can pray at the Western Wall,” he added.

In his statement Monday, Gallant makes clear that keeping the Ben Gvir in power could be detrimental to Israel. But Ben Gvir spun blame back at the defense minister in a post on X shortly after, accusing Gallant of being too “soft” on Hamas and Hezbollah:

“Gallant went soft when faced with Hamas and is dragging Israel into a feckless deal,” he said, referring to ceasefire talks which would see an agreement to free the hostages in exchange for an end to fighting in Gaza.

“Gallant has chosen to keep on with destructive policies of the defeatist [military] conception against Hezbollah in the north as well,” he wrote, calling for Israel to launch a “decisive war” against the Lebanese terror group.

Earlier this month, Ben Gvir visited the Temple Mount, where he said his policy was to allow Jewish prayer at the site.

“We are here on Tisha B’Av, at the Temple Mount, to commemorate the destruction of the Holy Temple. As I said—our policy is to allow prayer,” he said.

He added that he had visited the Temple Mount to pray for “the return of the hostages, the peace of the soldiers and victory in the war.”

Following the remarks, Netanyahu’s office released a statement emphasising that “it is the government and the prime minister who determine policy on the Temple Mount. There is no private policy of any minister—not the national security minister or any other minister—on the Temple Mount. Thus it has been under all governments of Israel.”

The statement continued: “This morning’s incident on the Temple Mount deviated from the status quo. Israel’s policy on the Temple Mount has not changed; this is how it has been and this is how it will be.”

A Super Blue Moon rises behind the Dome of the Rock in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Old Jerusalem, where Ben Gvir believes Jews should be allowed to pray. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Police detained 40 Israelis who visited the site after waving Israeli flags, kneeling or prostrating themselves.

“The whole region sees Netanyahu’s weakness against Ben Gvir,” Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said on Monday. “He can’t control the government even when it comes to a clear attempt to destabilize our national security.”

In June, Ben-Gvir said he intends to allow all Jews to openly pray at Judaism’s holiest site, changing the status quo that has existed there since 1967.

While this status quo against Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount was never ratified in legislation, there have been various references to it over the years by all branches of government, but not in a way that grants it an independent legal status.

Since the beginning of the Hebrew year, over 50,000 Jews have visited the Temple Mount, according to data compiled by Beyadenu, an Israeli NGO dedicated to strengthening the Jewish connection to the site.

JNS contributed reporting to this story.