Record Surge in Jewish Visits to Al-Aqsa Mosque During Passover

Hundreds of Jewish Israelis visited Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday, setting a new record for Jewish worshippers entering the site’s courtyards during a holiday period. The Temple Mount Administration — the body overseeing Jewish entry to the holy site — took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate what it described as “an amazing surge.”

Since the start of Passover on Saturday, 6,315 Jewish visitors have entered the Al-Aqsa compound, surpassing the total number of Jewish visitors during all holidays last year. The Temple Mount Administration hailed the 37% increase as an “all-time record.”

Aouni Bazbaz, Director of International Affairs at the Islamic Waqf — the authority responsible for administering Al-Aqsa Mosque — confirmed to Middle East Eye that there has indeed been a dramatic rise in Jewish religious visits, calling the scenes “frightening.”

Traditionally, Israel had prohibited Jewish prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque, which sits atop a site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and is considered one of Islam’s holiest places. The Chief Rabbinate of Jerusalem maintains that Jewish worship at the site is forbidden unless worshippers are “ritually pure,” a condition deemed impossible today.

However, with growing influence from ultranationalist groups and encouragement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right government, Jewish prayer and visits have become increasingly common.

Bazbaz recalled that in 2003, only 258 Jewish settlers entered the courtyards, and they were barred from openly praying. In contrast, the numbers now have “risen exponentially,” he said, noting that approximately 600 Jews visited on the first day of Passover, followed by 1,150 and 1,745 on subsequent days. He estimated that over 2,000 worshippers entered the site on Wednesday alone.