A group of Israeli ministers and Members of Knesset (MKs) have sent a letter to members of the U.S. Congress, calling for official recognition of Jewish rights to the Temple Mount, a site of immense religious and political significance in Jerusalem.
This development, reported across various news outlets in early March 2025, underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding the contested holy site and highlights Israel’s efforts to bolster international support for its claims.
The Temple Mount, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif, is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, making it one of Islam’s holiest sites.
For Jews, it is revered as the location of the ancient First and Second Temples, the most sacred site in Judaism.
The area has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with access and control tightly regulated under a decades-old “status quo” agreement.
This arrangement, established after Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967, allows Jews to visit but not pray at the site, while Jordan retains custodial oversight through the Islamic Waqf.
According to reports from Arutz Sheva, a prominent Israeli news outlet, the letter was spearheaded by a coalition of right-wing Israeli politicians who argue that Jewish rights to the Temple Mount have been unjustly restricted.
The signatories, including several cabinet ministers and MKs from parties such as Likud and Religious Zionism, assert that recognizing Jewish historical and religious ties to the site is a matter of justice and a step toward affirming Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem.
They urge U.S. lawmakers to pressure the Biden administration to shift its stance, which has historically supported maintaining the status quo to avoid escalating regional tensions.
The Jerusalem Post, another key source covering the story, noted that the letter comes amid a broader push by Israel’s current government—led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition—to assert greater control over contested areas in Jerusalem.
The appeal to Congress is seen as an attempt to leverage U.S. political support, particularly from Republican lawmakers who have traditionally been sympathetic to Israel’s security and territorial claims.
The timing of the letter, ahead of anticipated U.S. congressional sessions in spring 2025, suggests a strategic effort to influence American foreign policy at a critical juncture.
Details emerging from posts found on X indicate that some observers view this move as potentially tied to a larger diplomatic initiative, possibly linked to a rumored “covenant with the many” speculated to take shape later in 2025.
While such claims remain unverified and speculative, they reflect a sentiment among certain groups that the Temple Mount issue could play a pivotal role in future Israeli-U.S. relations or even broader Middle Eastern negotiations.
However, without concrete evidence, these assertions should be treated as inconclusive.
The initiative has not gone without criticism. Al Jazeera reported that Palestinian officials and Jordanian authorities condemned the letter as a provocation that threatens the fragile stability of the region.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority called it “an assault on Muslim rights and a violation of international agreements,” warning that any change to the status quo could ignite widespread unrest.
Jordan, which sees itself as a guardian of Jerusalem’s holy sites, echoed these concerns, with its foreign ministry stating it would raise the issue with international partners.
Meanwhile, U.S. responses have so far been muted.
A brief statement from a State Department official, cited by The Times of Israel, reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to preserving the status quo and encouraging dialogue between all parties.
However, the letter’s direct appeal to Congress—bypassing the executive branch—may signal Israel’s intent to exploit divisions within the U.S. political system, particularly as midterm elections loom in 2026 and Israel remains a polarizing issue.
Analysts suggest that this push reflects growing confidence within Israel’s right-wing coalition, emboldened by domestic support and a perceived window of opportunity in U.S. politics.
Yet, it also risks inflaming an already volatile situation.
As reported by Haaretz, some Israeli security experts caution that altering the Temple Mount’s status could provoke a backlash not only from Palestinians but also from the broader Muslim world, potentially destabilizing Israel’s recent normalization agreements with Arab states.
