The Jerusalem District Court on Friday upheld a ban on Jewish prayer at Jerusalem's Temple Mount compound, upending a lower court's decision that had sparked fury across the Muslim world.

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Several Israeli officials praised the decision, saying it would prevent disturbances to public order, including Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, who had warned that a change in the status quo at the flashpoint site would "endanger the public peace."

Jews are allowed to visit the site but may not overtly pray or engage in rituals there.

Arie Lipo, an Israeli rabbi, was slapped with a two-week ban from the compound last month after praying there, but last Tuesday, the Jerusalem Magistrates Court struck down the decision, saying Lipo's whispered prayer did "not violate police instructions."

The Israel Police appealed the decision, and Jerusalem District Court judge Arye Romanov on Friday upheld the ban, saying officers had acted "within reason."

"The fact that there was someone who observed Lippo pray is evidence that his prayer was overt," Romanov wrote. "I restore the decision of the police commander."

Palestinians, as well as officials in Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia had condemned the lower court's decision.

This article was first published by i24NEWS

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Peretz and Smotrich, who co-chair the United Right faction, were also named to the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet: Smotrich as a full cabinet member and Peretz as an observer.

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In a social media post, Smotrich was quick to set goals for his cabinet tenure, including applying Israeli sovereignty to parts of Judea and Samaria and undermining Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"The importance of entering the government and the cabinet now, even if only for a short period of time in a transitional government, in which ministers are limited in what their ministries can do – lies with what it means for the [coalition] partnership going forward," he said.

"In the cabinet, we will be a clear voice demanding our enemies be defeated and destroyed. We will demand a decisive victory over Hamas, and reinstating peace and security to Israel's southern communities," he wrote.

Peretz issued a statement thanking Netanyahu for the nomination.

"I plan to be everyone's education minister. Education is significant to Israel's resilience, and despite this being a transitional government I plan to advance the values for which I was elected," he said.

Smotrich's nomination sparked controversy, as many lawmakers expressed concern that his religious views would interfere with critical infrastructure work that is carried out over Shabbat – a hot-button issue for ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism.

A statement by the Prime Minister's Office said that "the parties have agreed to fully maintain the religious-secular status quo, as it has been practiced in Israel for decades."

Over in Labor, party leaders have set the primaries in which Labor Leader Avi Gabbay's replacement would be chosen for July 2.

Gabbay, who drove Labor to a historic low in April's elections, said he would not seek re-election and would, in fact, retire from politics.

Labor MKs Amir Peretz, Stav Shaffir and Itzik Shmuli announced they will be vying for the party's leadership.

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