Israeli security establishment calls for limited Ramadan Temple Mount access due to security challenges

The Israeli security establishment is reportedly calling for permitting limited access to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem ahead of the upcoming Muslim holiday of Ramadan. The Temple Mount is the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest site in Judaism.

While Israel, and especially its capital Jerusalem, frequently face security challenges during Ramadan, the security risks are considered even greater this year as the country is still facing a multi-front war from Iran and its terrorist proxies.

The Israeli Defense Ministry, the IDF, the intelligence agency Shin Bet, the Israel Police and the Israel Prison Service are currently discussing Israel’s security challenges and are expected to present concrete recommendations to the political echelon in the coming days. 

Israeli security sources told the news outlet N12 that "the volatility of Ramadan will largely depend on the situation in Gaza."

"If there is a ceasefire, it is expected that the situation will remain calm, but if not—security forces will be deployed in much larger numbers in anticipation of possible escalation," the sources predicted. 

Senior Israeli security officials reportedly seek to secure the right for Muslim visitors to worship freely on the Temple Mount “within security constraints.” In practice this means that the security establishment will recommend unrestricted access for men over the age of 55, women over 50 and children aged up to 12. On the other hand, there are expected to be access restrictions for younger Muslim men who are more likely to resort to violence.

Furthermore, security officials are expected to recommend a maximum of 10,000 people to attend the Friday prayers, which normally tend to attract far larger crowds during the period of Ramadan. 

While the overwhelming majority of Muslim Israelis are law-abiding citizens, there are security concerns about radicalized Muslim individuals from especially Judea and Samaria. 

Last year, former Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir articulated strong opposition to allowing Muslim residents from Judea and Samaria to access the Temple Mount during Ramadan. 

"I recommend that those security officials take a look at the polls conducted in the Palestinian Authority, where they will discover the tremendous support for the massacre committed by Hamas on October 7," Ben-Gvir stated. "I will strongly oppose the entry of West Bank Arab residents into Israel and I hope that the rest of my colleagues will behave the same way."

However, Shin Bet warned at the time that such restrictions would increase anger and thereby the risks of violence against the Jewish state and Israelis. 

The Israeli government eventually decided last year to heed the warning of Shin Bet and greenlight access to the Temple Mount as it existed prior to the Oct. 7 massacre. 

“During the first week of Ramadan, the entry of worshippers to the Temple Mount will be permitted, similar to the numbers in previous years. A weekly assessment of the security and safety aspects will be held; a decision will be made accordingly,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated at the time. 

“Israel strongly safeguards freedom of worship for all faiths, at all sites in Israel, especially the Temple Mount,” the prime minister added.

“Ramadan is sacred to Muslims; its sanctity will be upheld this year, as it is every year,” Netanyahu concluded.

The combustible situation in Gaza will ultimately determine the Israeli government’s upcoming Temple Mount Ramadan access policy. 

Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas are reportedly preparing for a resumption of fighting as the fragile ceasefire could potentially collapse any day.