Attempt to Revive a Temple Mount Ritual: Holiday or Provocation?

Video: A group of Jewish youths tried to enter the Temple Mount in Jerusalem with the “Two Loaves” offering, sparking clashes and condemnations

By Aharon Rivka
24/05/2026, 10:00

A group of 13 Jewish youths broke into the Temple Mount on Friday, the holiday of Shavuot, through a side gate open only to Muslims, while carrying the “Two Loaves” offering. Waqf guards confronted them, and according to Palestinian reports, two of the guards were injured. Officers from the David Precinct of the Jerusalem District Police removed them from the compound and detained them for questioning.

What is the “Two Loaves” offering and why did it spark a storm on the Temple Mount?

The “Two Loaves” offering, which the youths tried to bring into the Temple Mount, is part of the Shavuot first-fruits ritual that was practiced when the Temple still stood in Jerusalem. The offering symbolizes the bond between human beings and God through the fruit of the land and the beginning of the wheat harvest.

The Palestinians and the Jordanian Foreign Ministry quickly issued condemnations, describing the incident as a dangerous provocation.

According to Palestinian reports and footage published from the scene, the youths arrived at Bab al-Ghawanima, a side entrance to the Temple Mount located at the northwestern edge of the compound. The gate is not open to Jewish visitors, especially on Fridays, when the Temple Mount is completely closed to Jewish visits. Waqf guards who noticed the youths and the offering they were carrying quickly blocked their path toward the inner plaza. According to Palestinian claims, two of the guards were injured during the confrontation. Israeli police officers rushed to the scene, removed the youths from the compound and detained them for questioning.

The Jerusalem District Police said that “a group of youths who arrived at one of the gates of the Temple Mount suddenly began running while breaking through a barrier/checkpoint at the entrance to the Mount. Officers from the David Precinct and Border Police, who were following them, quickly removed them from the Mount, and they were arrested for further questioning. Israel Police operates in the Old City and at the holy sites in order to maintain public order, security and the status quo, and will continue to act firmly against any attempt to disturb the peace.”

Palestinian media outlets quickly condemned the incident, claiming it was another dangerous precedent, the first of its kind since the Six-Day War in 1967. In their view, it was another step toward the “Judaization” of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, which represents the Hashemite Kingdom’s custodianship over the holy sites in Jerusalem, also issued a sharp condemnation: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns the continued assault by extremist settler groups on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and their attempt to enter it by force on Friday, May 22, 2026, while carrying the ‘first-fruits sacrifice,’ which constitutes a grave provocation to the feelings of Muslims.

“The ministry stresses that these actions constitute a blatant violation of the historical and legal status quo at the holy sites, and calls on the international community and the UN Security Council to take a firm position against repeated Israeli violations, and to compel Israel to respect its obligations as an occupying power.”