Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef sharply attacked Rabbi Dov Lior during remarks in which he addressed visits to the Temple Mount. According to him, many leading Torah scholars opposed ascending the Mount.

“All the leading rabbis of the generation said not to enter the Temple Mount. What chutzpah," Rabbi Yosef said, adding that he had spoken several times about Ben-Gvir ascending the Temple Mount.

Rabbi Yosef listed a series of rabbis who, he said, opposed ascending the Mount, including the Steipler, Rabbi Shach, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Rabbi Ben Zion Abba Shaul and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein.

He then referred to Ben-Gvir and his rabbi, Rabbi Dov Lior, saying: “What authority does your rabbi have? What rabbi does he have? His rabbi is from Hebron. I know his books. He does not come up to the ankles of any of the rabbis I mentioned, with all due respect."

Rabbi Yosef added, “One must not be naive," and quoted the Chazon Ish regarding the need to know who the “true Torah giants" are. He then said: “Why are you talking like that about second-tier and third-tier rabbis? Ordinary people should not speak; rabbis can speak."

Rabbi Yosef subsequently reiterated his criticism of rabbis who permit Jews to ascend the Temple Mount. According to him, “All the rabbis who permit it do not come up to the ankles of any of the great rabbis of the generation who prohibited it, and yet they have the chutzpah."