Violence once again erupted between Palestinians and Israeli riot police after young protesters barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount, despite an order permitting only men over the age of 50 to enter the compound for prayers. Women of any age are also allowed entry. Israel has imposed the ban during times of unrest because it is for the most part, young palestinian men who throw rocks at the holy site. This comes as Jerusalem is filled with those who have come to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City has been a sore point for both Palestinians and Jews. This ground is very much a center point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Muslims revere it as the place they believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, while the Jews call it the Temple Mount, the site of the two biblical Jewish temples.
Palestinians stockpiled rocks and other projectiles at the Al-Aqsa mosque overnight, according to police spokeswoman Luba Samri.
Palestinians threw rocks, firebombs and firecrackers from within the mosque at the police, Samri also added that the fire bombs sparked a fire at the entrance to the mosque. Waqf guards did not prevent the “desecration of the sanctity of the place,” she said .
Police had tried to negotiate with the Waqf – the Islamic religious authority that oversees the compound – to call for calm, but talks failed and police entered the compound to seize the “dangerous devices intended to harm visitors to the site and police and endanger their lives,” Samri added.
Israeli Police were able to restore calm but occasional stone throwing continued throughout the morning. They reported that by noon the site was quiet.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to solid steps to calm the tensions over Jerusalem’s holiest site.
Violence has been building over the last few weeks over the Temple Mount. Palestinians have been attacking Israeli police and fears had been building concerning a major uprising by Palestinians.
“Today, we are working to smother the sparks of immediate tension so that they don’t become a fire that is absolutely out of control,” Kerry added, flanked by Jordanian Foreign Minister Naser Judeh. The area, which contains the Dome of the Rock, is under Jordanian control due to treaty.
Members of the Israeli government have been raising discussions that Jews should be again able to pray on the Temple Mount. Judah told reporters that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed in the talks to maintain the status quo as a way to help ease tensions.
The agreement announced by Kerry also lifted all age restrictions on Muslims praying at the Dome.
A Palestinian terrorist who attempted to kill a Jewish activist died after a shootout with police and security officers.
Moataz Hejazi shot and wounded Yehuda Glick, an American born settler who has been leading a campaign to allow Jews to pray on the Temple Mount. He has been a target of Muslims who believe Jews should be banned from even setting foot on Temple Mount.
“Anti-terrorist police units surrounded a house in the Abu Tor neighborhood to arrest a suspect in the attempted assassination of Yehuda Glick,” Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. “Immediately upon arrival they were shot at. They returned fire and shot and killed the suspect.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, ignoring the fact Hejazi attempted to kill a Jewish leader, said Israel’s police killing Hejazi is “tantamount to a declaration of war.” He called for a “day of rage” Friday against all Israelis.
Palestinians threw rocks at police as they attempted to capture and ultimately had to kill Hejazi. Hejazi had been in prison for 11 years for previous attacks on Israel.
Former President Bill Clinton claims that Israel had offered control of the Temple Mount to the Palestinians in 2000 during negotiations Clinton called a “roaring success.”
In a speech at Georgetown University, Clinton said that Ehud Barak had agreed to give Yasser Arafat control of the holiest site in Judaism in return for Israel having total control of the area around the Western Wall.
The talks broke down when Arafat demanded to keep control 50 feet of land that leads up to the entrance of the Western Wall tunnels. Israel refused saying that Muslims would go into the tunnels and destroy the ruins of the Jewish temples.
Clinton said that Israel was likely justified in their refusal to protect the temple ruins.
Clinton added that the 2000 summit taught him that you need trust more than agreement. He said that without trust, there was no way to establish an agreement.
In what is being called a “breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime discovery”, two bundles of treasure has been found during an excavation at the foot of the Temple Mount.
Dr. Eilat Mazar discovered 36 gold coins, gold and silver jewelry and a gold medallion with a menorah etched into it. According to ynet, the medallion also has an inscription of a shofar and Torah scroll. Continue reading →
Jerusalem police have blocked a march on the Temple Mount under grounds it would “endanger the public.” Continue reading →
