29 June 2026 - Jerusalem Holy Places - Oral evidence

Religious leaders give evidence on Jerusalem Holy Places and potential changes to the Status Quo

The Foreign Affairs Committee will hear virtual evidence from religious and political leaders: Theophilus III, Patriarch, Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem; Hosam Elias Naoum, Archbishop, Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem; and Gilad Kariv, Member of the Israel Knesset and Reform Rabbi.  

The ‘Status Quo’ is a set of agreements and principles that govern religious access to Holy Sites in Jerusalem. This includes the Temple Mount/al-Haram al-Sharif, a site that holds significance within Christianity, Islam and Judaism. 

For centuries, Temple Mount/al-Haram al-Sharif has been managed by the Muslim community. This principle has been reinforced, such as through the agreements that followed the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, which asserted that Jewish people could visit the site, but may not pray. 

In recent years, the number of Jewish visitors ascending the Temple Mount/al-Haram al-Sharif has increased. Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir held prayers at the Temple Mount/al-Haram al-Sharif in August 2024, in violation of police policy and the Status Quo. More recently, Mr Ben-Gvir has said that he felt like the “owner” of the Holy Site and called on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to expand Jewish access to the site.