The office of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett clarified this morning that Israel has not changed its policy of maintaining the status quo at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Temple Mount. A day earlier, Bennett had said during a radio interview that both Jews and Muslims have “freedom of worship” on the Temple Mount. The comment was widely interpreted as asserting the right of Jews to pray at the holy site. A tweet from Bennett’s office yesterday aggravated matters, stating, "Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke with Public Security Minister Bar-Lev and Israel Police Inspector General Shabtai and thanked them for managing the events on the Temple Mount with responsibility and consideration, while maintaining freedom of worship for Jews on the Mount."

This morning however, Bennett’s office clarified that he misspoke, and that he actually meant that both Jews and Muslims have “freedom of visitation rights” at the Temple Mount compound.

Since the 1967 Six-Day war, Israel has allowed the Jordanian Waqf to maintain religious authority at the Temple Mount compound. A compromise guideline enables Jews to ascend to the site on specific days and hours, separating Jewish worshipers visiting the compound from Muslims praying there. Jews are not allowed to pray there to avoid provoking the Muslim worshippers. Several right-wing Jewish activists have been detained in recent years for violating the rules. Over the years, rumors of Israeli intentions to change to the status quo have been met with strident opposition by the Muslim world and sparked deadly protests.

Bennett made his controversial comment during the Jewish fasting day of Tisha B’Av, which marks the destruction of both Jerusalem temples. The Temple Mount is considered the holiest site in Judaism and tens of thousands of Jews traditionally flock to Jerusalem’s Old City on that day. They come to pray by the Western Wall, located below the Temple Mount. The Israeli authorities usually allow more Jews than usual to visit the Temple Mount compound on the day of Tisha B’Av.