Israeli Minister Prays at Al-Aqsa in Violation of Status Quo

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AUG 4

Above: Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (C) in East Jerusalem on Aug. 3, 2025. Image copyright: Gazi Samad/Anadolu/Getty Images

story last updated AUG 5

The Spin

Left narrative

Ben-Gvir's prayer at Al-Aqsa unnecessarily adds fuel to an already out-of-control fire. This convicted extremist seeks to transform Judaism's holiest mourning day into a calculated provocation, inflaming a region that is already bleeding. Ben-Gvir's reckless ambition prioritizes political theater over human lives, making peace even less likely.

Haaretz.com Firstpost

Right narrative

The so-called "status quo" became a hollow myth after Palestinians built four additional mosques while systematically erasing Jewish history. For fifty-seven years, Jews have been denied their fundamental right to pray at Judaism's holiest site. Ben-Gvir simply acknowledged reality: religious freedom belongs to everyone, including Jews mourning their destroyed Temples on their most sacred ground.

Jerusalem Post Times of Israel

Pro-Palestine narrative

Though the Israeli and Western media try to portray settlers like Ben-Gvir as a fringe element of Israeli society, the state was founded on the basis of ethnic cleansing and land theft. Israeli leaders on the left and right have continued to approve settlement expansion, and Palestinian land has continued to recede since 1948. Indeed, Israel annexed the West Bank in all but name a long time ago, and Israeli politicians are increasingly open about Israel's intentions — the incremental destruction of Palestine.

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