Jewish visitors were permitted to sing and dance openly throughout the entire Temple Mount compound on Wednesday, following a policy directive issued by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The development represents a dramatic change from past practice, where Jewish prayer—even whispered—on the Temple Mount could lead to arrest, detention or being barred from the site for months.

For decades, Israeli police enforced strict limitations on Jewish religious expression on the Mount, citing security concerns and maintaining the status quo agreement with the Waqf Islamic trust that administers the site.