Israeli Politics · 23 August, 2026 · 3 min read
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Says He Is Building a Jewish Synagogue Inside Al-Aqsa Mosque Courtyards
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu says work underway to build a Jewish synagogue inside Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards. He says the plan goes beyond previous calls to establish a synagogue inside the mosque.
3outlets compared
3 outlets, one story, no spin found.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: eliyahu said the synagogue aims to allow Jews to ascend legally to the Holy of Holies.
Al Jazeera emphasises legal ascension; Quds and Musdr emphasise spatial-temporal division and status-quo threat.
Eliyahu’s synagogue plan
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, described as the Chief Rabbi of Safed (Tzfat) and a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council under the Israeli occupation government, said he is working on building a Jewish synagogue inside the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
“ascend legally to the Holy of Holies”
In statements cited by Al-Jazeera Net, Eliyahu said the synagogue aims to enable Jews to “ascend legally to the Holy of Holies,” referring to the Dome of the Rock, and he added that its construction “will definitely happen.”
Al-Lahad News Network said Eliyahu’s public announcement sparked angry reactions after he openly announced his intention to work and plan to build a Jewish synagogue inside the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The same Al-Lahad News Network account said the calls are coming amid daily incursions carried out by settlers into the blessed Temple Mount under heavy protection from the Israeli occupation police, during which Jewish rituals and ceremonies are performed in its courtyards.
Al-Jazeera Net reported that Eliyahu mentioned “new developments” soon, including the establishment of a building designated for Jews ascending to what is called the “Temple Mount,” before confirming that the construction of the synagogue should have been “yesterday.”
Reactions and escalation fears
Al-Jazeera Net said Eliyahu’s remarks provoked a wave of anger and online interaction, with warnings that the calls could change the character of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and impose new arrangements within it.
Activists and bloggers cited by Al-Jazeera Net criticized Eliyahu’s ridicule of the possibility of a “third world war” breaking out due to building a synagogue in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and they described the call as a dangerous overstep of all red lines.
In the Al-Lahad News Network account, Islamic organizations and prominent Jerusalem figures warned of the danger of these calls and provocative attempts, emphasizing that the entire area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is 144 dunams in area, is a place of pure worship for Muslims only.
Al-Lahad News Network also said those figures warned that any attempts to build structures or carve out parts of it constitute a stark aggression that will ignite more tensions and confrontations in the region.
Al-Jazeera Net further reported that observers believed the danger of Eliyahu’s statements lies not only in the call to build the synagogue but also in presenting it as a settled and near-term step alongside talk of “great and radical developments” inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Broader campaign and stakes
Quds Network’s follow-up account, published by شبكة قدس الإخبارية, framed Eliyahu’s statements as going beyond previous calls by Israeli officials and rabbis who previously called for establishing a Jewish synagogue inside the mosque, and it described him as leading with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir the campaign to push for building a Jewish synagogue inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“Chief Rabbi of Safed (Tzfat)”
The same account said Eliyahu had previously urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset members to immediately build a Jewish synagogue in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa, considering the mosque’s existence a temporary phase paving the way for the construction of the alleged Third Temple.
Al-Jazeera Net reported that Eliyahu’s podcast remarks were hosted by media figure Avi Shushan, and the discussion focused on ascending to what is commonly called in Israel the “Temple Mount” and the possibility of establishing a Jewish synagogue there.
Al-Jazeera Net said activists pointed out that the statements come at a time when calls by Israeli religious and nationalist groups to intensify assaults on the mosque and allow Jewish rituals inside it are rising, describing such endeavors as a threat to the historical and legal status quo at the mosque.
شبكة قدس الإخبارية added that Eliyahu’s statements fit into a longer pattern of incitement and spatial division, including earlier calls such as those attributed to Shlomo Gorin immediately after the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967, when he held prayers in the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and publicly declared his intention to establish a permanent Jewish synagogue.