While the mainstream media goes crazy, reporting on Pete Hegseth’s strong identification with his Christian faith, more evidence of his pro-Israel, pro-Temple past is coming to light.

Media reports revealed that when Hegseth addressed an Arutz Sheva conference in Jerusalem at the King David Hotel in 2018, he surprised the attendees by saying that visiting the Western Wall “got me thinking about another miracle that I hope all of you don’t see too far away because 1917 was a miracle, 1948 was a miracle, 1967 was a miracle, 2017, the Declaration of Jerusalem as the capital was a miracle. And there’s no reason why the miracle of the reestablishment of the Temple on the Temple Mount is not possible.”

Hegseth reiterated his belief in a Jewish Temple when he ascended the Temple Mount in 2019, accompanied by Rabbi Chaim Richman, who was, at the time, the International Director of the Temple Institute. 

Hegseth told the rabbi, “Muslim leaders and groups deny the temple of the Bible? Why deny history? Worse, why destroy history (as has been happening on the Temple Mount in recent years)? Because if you deny (and destroy) Jewish claims to the Temple and the old city of Jerusalem, you can justify denying Jews further influence in the city. By denying the Temple, you deny the State of Israel. By denying the Temple, you rally the outside world to see Israel as an ‘occupying force.’”

After his visit to the Temple Mount in 2019, as a Fox News correspondent at the time, Hegseth shared:

“On the Temple Mount, Muslims have free access to visit any time and pray. For non-Muslims it’s a different story… Non-Muslims are permitted to enter the site only on certain dates and at specific times. And Jewish prayer is strictly forbidden… The only entrance to the Temple Mount for non-Muslims is the Mughrabi Gate…We arrived at a checkpoint and waited in a long line… Anyone who looks like a religious Jew must go in an organized group, separated from the rest of the visitors …The Waqf is around, which is the Islamic police looking for anyone praying. And also taking our picture…A lot of Questions about what‘s allowed and Isn’t allowed. Certainly, praying [is] not allowed for the Jews or Christians, but there are Muslims praying in the Mosques that are on this site”

“Muslim leaders and groups deny the temple of the Bible? Why deny history? Worse, why destroy history (as has been happening on the Temple Mount in recent years)? Because if you deny (and destroy) Jewish claims to the Temple and the old city of Jerusalem, you can justify denying Jews further influence in the city. By denying the Temple, you deny the State of Israel. By denying the Temple, you rally the outside world to see Israel as an “occupying force.”

Tom Nisani, CEO of the “Beyadenu Returning to the Temple Mount” organization, said: “The Trump administration continues to appoint lovers of Jerusalem, Israel, and the Temple Mount to key positions in Israel and the city of Jerusalem. Pete Hegseth visited the Temple Mount a few years ago, studied it closely, and was impressed by its importance to the Jewish people. Hegseth is a true friend of the State of Israel, with his heart and understanding in the right place. There is a historic opportunity here to make a change for the benefit of the Jewish people on the Temple Mount and to remove various restrictions on Jews. We must embrace it.”