Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) fired back at MK Ahmed Tibi (Balad) Sunday, after Tibi stated that Muslims were the “true owners” of the Temple Mount.

“[Tibi] is cocky, a traitor and a liar,” Katz stated Sunday. “The Temple Mount has been a Jewish historical site for nearly 3,000 years, and is under Israeli sovereignty.”

Katz further blasted the MK after it was revealed that Tibi would be ascending the Temple Mount despite his remarks. 

“Beyond that, why is Ahmed Tibi permitted to do what other MKs cannot?” Katz asked. “We must separate freedom of worship from freedom of incitement and remove Tibi from the Mount.” 

MK Nissan Slomiansky (Jewish Home) also condemned the decision to let Tibi ascend to the Mount. 

“Tibi apparently hasn’t internalized that the true owners of the Mount have returned home,” Slomiansky fired. “This falsification of history is a malignant disease, and saying [false history] a thousand times doesn’t make it reality. It is important for MK Tibi to remember that he is the Deputy Speaker for the Knesset and not for ISIS.” 

On Friday, Israel lifted restrictions on Muslims praying at the Al-Aqsa mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, which has been the focus of months of unrest in Jerusalem.

Palestinian Arabs have upped their violent opposition to an increasingly vocal campaign by Jewish activists for the right to pray at the site, where under current rules Muslims are allowed to pray, while Jews are restricted from doing so.

Islamists have been regularly clashing with Israeli police on the Mount and were responsible for escalating a campaign of harassment against Jewish visitors, who are already under severe restrictions due to Muslim pressure.

The violence reached a peak with the attempted murder of prominent Jewish Temple Mount activist Yehuda Glick last month.