There is no reason why the miracle of re-establishing the temple on Temple Mount should not be possible, said Hegseth during a visit to Jerusalem in 2018, according to The Times of Israel.
Temple Mount, in Arabic al-Haram al-Sharif, is considered sacred in both Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. With its two mosques, the site is a highly political symbol of Palestinian nationalism, and talk of a Jewish temple construction is therefore seen as a sharp provocation that can lead to increased religious tensions.
Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Temple Mount has been under Israeli control.
During Hegseth's visit to Israel in 2018, he also hinted that he supports a full annexation of Israeli settlements on the West Bank and opposes a two-state solution, writes The Times of Israel.
Whoever walks the earth today understands that what would be the outcome of a two-state solution does not exist. There is one state, he is said to have said.
Temple Mount or al-Haram al-Sharif has stood at the center of the struggle for Jerusalem for centuries. There are sanctuaries within Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
According to Jewish tradition, there were two temples on the site, one of which is said to have been built by King Solomon 3,000 years ago and a later one that was destroyed by the Romans in 70. The lost temples have a key role in Judaism and today Jews pray at the Wailing Wall right next to the mountain.
In the middle of the mountain is a rock that is said to be the place where Abraham, according to the First Book of Moses, almost sacrificed his son Isaac.
On the same spot, according to Muslims, Muhammad began a nocturnal ascension to heaven. The Dome of the Rock with its golden dome is built on that spot, and a little further away lies the al-Aqsa Mosque. Together, they form the Muslims' third holiest site after Mecca and Medina. Muslims call it al-Haram al-Sharif, roughly "the noble sanctuary".
Muslims conquered Jerusalem during Islam's first expansion phase in the 7th century after Christ. According to the UN decisions that laid the foundation for the Israeli state, the holy sites should be under international administration, but since 1967, Temple Mount has been under Israeli control.
Christian pilgrims mainly visit Jesus' grave church and Via Dolorosa, the streets where Jesus is believed to have made his Golgotha journey.
