As the Oct. 27 election in Israel draws closer, it has become increasingly common for a new scandal or crisis to emerge, often fueled by the government’s coalition partners.
After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently realized that he would emerge from the election defeated, stoking the so-called Turkish threat was seemingly not enough to consolidate right-wing, conservative and nationalist support. He has now been joined by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose actions and rhetoric appear aimed at altering the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In fact, Ben-Gvir’s aim at altering the status of Al-Aqsa is not a new phenomenon. Indeed, shortly after becoming the national security minister in the Netanyahu government, he signaled potential developments in the new era by staging a raid on Al-Aqsa alongside his associates. As if it were not enough that he has repeatedly raided Al-Aqsa using his ministerial authority, in 2024, he overstepped his bounds by stating that “they will eventually build a synagogue in the area where Al-Aqsa stands.” Thereby, he paved the way for the rhetoric, now widely circulated, regarding the demolition of Al-Aqsa and the construction of the third Jewish temple in its place.
