Hundreds of Jews Ascend Temple Mount Under Police Guard for Rosh Hashanah

Approximately 240 Jews visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on the second day of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, under heightened police security. The Palestinian Wafa news agency initially reported the number, later revising it to around 480 Jewish pilgrims, claiming some were praying and engaging in "provocative processions and Talmudic rituals." Israeli sources confirmed the large Jewish presence and significant police deployment but did not validate the characterization of the event by the Arab agency.

This visit occurs amid recent shifts in the rules for Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount. In August, reports emerged that Jewish visitors were permitted to bring prayer books and pray on the site. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir described this as an "experiment" rather than a formal policy change. Ben-Gvir himself visited the Temple Mount with Jewish worshippers on Tisha B'Av, stating that these changes demonstrated "enormous progress" and that Jews felt like "legitimate owners" of the holy site.

The official status quo at the Temple Mount remains formally unchanged. Israeli police are responsible for security, while the Jordanian Waqf manages religious affairs and the complex's administration. Jewish visitors are still permitted entry during specific hours, but public prayer has traditionally been prohibited.

The number of Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount has been increasing in recent years. In 2024, Israeli media reported that around 48,000 Jews ascended the mount, a 14% increase from the previous year. Large Jewish gatherings on the Temple Mount during holidays are a sensitive issue in Jerusalem, often drawing strong reactions from the Muslim world and raising concerns about potential escalations.