"The policy is to allow free worship for Jews everywhere," a spokesperson for the National Security Ministry said.
Four hundred ninety-four Jewish worshippers ascended the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday, the first day of Passover, a 43% increase over 2024, when 345 visited Judaism’s holiest site.
Hundreds of Jews took part in morning and afternoon services, as well as the festive Hallel and Musaf prayers, according to Beyadenu, a religious activist group that monitors Jewish visits to the Mount.
A spokesperson for National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the Israel Police, told Israel National News on Monday that the rise was a “direct outcome of the policy of the national security minister, which is very different from the policies that were pursued in past years.
