Nearly 2,000 Jewish pilgrims visited Jerusalem’s most delicate holy web site early Sunday ahead of a nationalist parade by the Old City, prompting Palestinians barricaded contained in the Al Aqsa Mosque to throw rocks and fireworks on the guests and close by Israeli police.
Some 3,000 Israeli police have been deployed all through town ahead of Sunday’s march, during which flag-waving Israeli nationalists deliberate to stroll by the guts of the Old City’s principal Palestinian thoroughfare.
Israel says the march is supposed to have fun Israel’s seize of east Jerusalem, together with the Old City, within the 1967 Mideast struggle. Israel has annexed east Jerusalem in a transfer that isn’t internationally acknowledged, and it claims all of town as its capital.
But Palestinians, who search east Jerusalem because the capital of a future state, see the march as a provocation. Last 12 months, the parade helped set off an 11-day struggle between Israel and Gaza militants.
Ahead of the march, some 1,800 Jewish pilgrims visited the contested hilltop compound the place the Al Aqsa Mosque is located, in accordance with Israeli police.
Al Aqsa is the third-holiest web site in Islam and serves as a strong image for the Palestinians. The compound is also the holiest web site for Jews, who name it the Temple Mount and revere it as the house of the biblical Temples. The competing claims to the positioning lie on the coronary heart of the Israeli-Palestinian battle and have triggered quite a few rounds of violence.
Dozens of Palestinians barricaded themselves contained in the mosque early Sunday and started throwing objects and fireworks when the Jewish guests started to reach.
Among the guests was Itamar Ben-Gvir, chief of a small ultranationalist opposition social gathering and a follower of the late racist rabbi, Meir Kahane, who entered with dozens of supporters beneath heavy police guard.
Palestinians shouted “God is great” as Ben-Gvir, accompanied by Israeli police, shouted “the Jewish people live.” Police stated they locked the gates of the mosque and stated they made a number of arrests. There have been no stories of accidents.
Without rationalization, Israeli police took the uncommon step of barring Palestinian journalists, together with an Associated Press photographer, from coming into the compound.
Police additionally stated dozens of guests in a single of the Jewish teams “violated visitation rules.” It stated the group was eliminated and a few folks have been detained.
The police assertion gave no additional particulars. But beneath longstanding preparations often known as the “status quo,” Jewish guests to the compound are usually not allowed to wish. In latest years, nevertheless, the quantity of Jewish guests has grown considerably, together with some who’ve been noticed quietly praying.
Such scenes have sparked Palestinian fears that Israel is plotting to take over or divide the realm. Israel denies such claims, saying it stays dedicated to the established order.
Israel’s nationwide police chief, Kobi Shabtai, stated his forces have been ready for “every scenario” and had taken “immediate and professional” motion when wanted.
“We will not allow any inciter or rioter to sabotage today’s events and to disrupt law and order,” he stated. By noon, the visits had briefly halted, and the state of affairs had quieted.
Jordan condemned Ben-Gvir’s go to to the positioning and warned that the “provocative and escalating march” may make issues deteriorate additional. Jordan managed east Jerusalem till Israel captured it in 1967 and it stays the custodian over Muslim holy websites.
Sunday’s march comes at a time of heightened tensions. Israeli police have repeatedly confronted stone-throwing Palestinian demonstrators within the disputed compound in latest months, typically firing rubber bullets and stun grenades.
At the identical time, some 19 Israelis have been killed by Palestinian attackers in Israel and the occupied West Bank in latest weeks, whereas over 35 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli army operations within the occupied West Bank.
Many of these killed have been Palestinian militants, however a number of civilians have been additionally among the many useless, together with Shireen Abu Akleh, a widely known correspondent for the Al Jazeera satellite tv for pc channel.
Jerusalem police have been criticized internationally for beating mourners at Abu Akleh’s funeral two weeks in the past.