Simmering tensions over ancient Jerusalem site nearing a boil

JERUSALEM — Glimmering over Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex’s ancient golden dome exudes a serenity that stands in stark contrast to an earthly tug-of-war over who should worship at the holy site

JERUSALEM — Glimmering over Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex’s ancient golden dome exudes a serenity that stands in stark contrast to an earthly tug-of-war over who should worship at the holy site.

Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscription

Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.

A flashpoint for violence in recent decades, a once-fringe movement that is seeking to end the compound’s Islamic governance, allow non-Muslims to pray there and even one day build a new Jewish temple on the site is gaining traction within the Israeli government and also among some American evangelical Christians.

The Temple Mount movement — a loose coalition of Israeli religious and nationalist organizations — harbors a potentially explosive mix of prophecy and politics that aims to upend some 1,300 years of Muslim control over the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest one for Jews.