Ben-Gvir Leads Mass Entry Into Al-Aqsa With Likud Lawmakers, Declaring Jews "Feel Like the Owners"

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on July 23, 2026, under police protection alongside ruling Likud lawmakers — part of an incursion by over 2,300 settlers performing ritual prayer, which the site's status quo prohibits. Ben-Gvir told Haaretz Jews there "feel like the owners" and praised "tremendous progress." Palestinian officials called the minister's participation a dangerous escalation backed by the state.