Temple Mount

History|Sacred Sites

The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and a central Islamic shrine. Its status is a focal point of religious fervor and geopolitical conflict in Jerusalem.

The Temple Mount stands atop Jerusalem’s Old City as one of the world’s most revered—and most contested—religious sites. Known to Jews as Har HaBayit and to Muslims as Al-Haram al-Sharif, it is believed to be the location of both the First and Second Jewish Temples, and it now houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

After the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel gained control over East Jerusalem, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan made a pivotal decision: Israel would retain security control, but religious and administrative oversight of the mount would remain with the Islamic Waqf. This decision became the basis of what’s called the “status quo”—a fragile and often tense balance of religious access and political authority.

While Jews may visit the mount, they are prohibited from praying there, a restriction that has triggered regular protests and legal challenges. Palestinians, meanwhile, view any Israeli presence as an encroachment. Riots, terror attacks, and international condemnations have erupted over perceived changes to this delicate arrangement.

The site has repeatedly served as a matchstick for wider conflict. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s 2000 visit to the Temple Mount was cited as a trigger for the Second Intifada. More recently, disputes over metal detectors, police raids, and alleged desecrations have turned the mount into a symbol of broader Israeli-Arab tensions.

Despite calls from various international actors to revise the current arrangement, Israel has maintained its commitment to the “status quo,” citing the volatility of even symbolic change.