Next US defence secretary Pete Hegseth called for new Jewish temple at Al-Aqsa
Donald Trump's choice as the next United States defence secretary has called for the building of a third Jewish temple on the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Pete Hegseth, a former TV show host, was picked by the incoming US President Trump for the role following his election victory earlier this month.
Hegseth has previously touted his avowedly pro-Israel credentials, which derive in part from his fundamentalist Christian beliefs.
Speaking at an event in Jerusalem in 2018 he said there was "no reason why the miracle of re-establishing the temple on the Temple Mount isn’t possible", using the Israeli name for the raised plateau in occupied East Jerusalem where Al-Aqsa Mosque stands.
"I don't how it would happen, you don't know how it would happen, but I know that it could happen - and a step in that process is the recognition that facts and activities on the ground truly matter," he said at the event, which took place at Jerusalem's King David Hotel.
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He also told attendees that Israel should take advantage of Trump being in office to do what they needed to do in the region, because there were "true believers" in Washington who would back them.
Trump’s Defense Secretary pick, Pete Hegseth, says he believes in the potential rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem: (2018)
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 14, 2024
“There’s no reason why the miracle of re-establishing the Temple on the Temple Mount isn’t possible.” pic.twitter.com/o70iny2StS
For religious Jews, the Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. It is believed to be the site of two temples that were once the centre of the Jewish kingdoms that existed in ancient times, according to both scripture and archaeological studies.
The only remaining part of the Second Temple - begun by Herod the Great and destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE in retaliation for a Jewish rebellion - is the Western Wall, which is the holiest site for Jewish prayer in the city.
Atop the hill is the vast Al-Aqsa Mosque, a complex of courtyards, prayer halls and shrines, including the golden-roofed Dome of the Rock. The mosque is one of the holiest sites in Islam.
Restrictions on non-Muslims entering the mosque have been in place since the Ottoman status quo designating Jerusalem's holy sites to its sects was established in 1757.
The Chief Rabbinate of Jerusalem has also, since 1921, officially banned Jews from entering the Temple Mount.
However in recent years far-right Jewish activists have regularly stormed the mosque complex accompanied by ministers in the government, and Palestinians' access to the mosque and courtyards has been routinely restricted by Israeli security forces.
Far-right Jewish activists want to build a third Jewish temple on the site where Al-Aqsa Mosques structures and courtyards stand today.
Some, including Christian Evangelicals, believe this will herald the arrival of the messiah and possibly even the end of the world.
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