Gaza Herald – The Israeli Supreme Court has set an expiration date of Thursday, October 15, 2026, for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to provide a formal response regarding a petition by Temple Mount organizations. This petition demands the opening of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to settler incursions specifically on Saturdays. The court established this timeline during a session held on September 17, 2026, to review the legal appeal filed by these groups seeking expanded access rights.
The judicial body was awaiting opinions from two key political figures. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir submitted his response on September 14, 2026, explicitly endorsing the request. Ben Gvir stated that the policy of gradual sovereignty imposition over the Temple Mount teaches skeptics about the efficacy of resisting threats from the Arab world and globally. He argued that pride in Jewish identity contributes decisively to state security rather than harming it. Consequently, he urged the court to approve opening the gates for Jews on Saturdays starting with the current holiday season.
Ben Gvir noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu had previously supported this stance on September 3, 2026. In contrast, Netanyahu failed to submit a reply during the previous session. The court viewed this omission as contempt and imposed a symbolic fine of $2,500. The judges granted the prime minister thirty days to respond, a period concluding on the aforementioned Thursday. This deadline falls just twelve days before upcoming Israeli elections.
The timing coincides with intensified rhetoric regarding the Judaization of Al-Aqsa, which has become a central campaign theme for religious Zionist and nationalist candidates. This political maneuvering follows a three-week period of aggression against the mosque between September 12 and October 3, 2026. The only significant response from Palestinian factions during this interval was a wave of individual operations in the West Bank, with no major centralized demonstrations emerging across the Islamic world.
Organizations behind the petition have structured their campaign systematically since July 16, 2026. Asaf Fried, spokesperson for the groups, launched media efforts followed by the formation of a committee dedicated to opening the mount on Saturdays. A conference was held on August 27, 2026, at the Isaac Tent synagogue in Jerusalem’s Old City, attended by Media Minister Shlomo Karhi and Knesset member Amit Halivi. Subsequently, specific prayers were drafted for Saturday observance at the site.
Rabbi Eliyahu Weber led initial prayer sessions on September 3 and September 10, 2026, which are scheduled to continue. Before departing for reserve duty on October 12, 2026, Fried urged activists to monitor the court deadline closely. Critics warn that allowing Saturday access would effectively grant settlers weekly holy status, potentially barring Muslim entry and mirroring Friday observances. Historical attempts at temporal division of the site were presented to the Knesset in 2012 and 2013.
This report was produced in the Gaza Herald newsroom.
