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Jerusalem clashes enter second day

September 14, 2015

Several people have been detained after Palestinian youths and Israeli police clashed near the al-Aqsa mosque for the second consecutive day. The violence erupted as Jews marked the Rosh Hashana new year.

https://p.dw.com/p/1GW3X
Image: Reuters/A. Awad

The confrontation at the disputed religious site - known as the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims and the Temple Mount to Jews - began on Sunday and continued into Monday.

Police said at least five Palestinians were arrested after they threw stones at officers around the compound - in Jerusalem's Old City - before attempting to flee inside the al-Aqsa mosque. Another four were arrested in skirmishes between security forces and protesters in the surrounding alleyways.

Police fired stun grenades while hitting and kicking demonstrators and journalists as they sought to push back crowds, AFP news agency reported.

One Jewish youth was slightly injured during the skirmishes, along with a police officer.

Israel Al Aqsa Moschee Palästinenser Gefechte Neujahr Jüdisch
Israeli border police entered the al-Aqsa mosque complex after clashes with Palestinians broke out on Sunday.Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Sultan

Clashes broke out over a ban on two Muslim civilian groups who patrol the mosque area. Police said they entered the site to ensure that Muslim youths did not harass Jews or tourists, amid a rising number of incidents involving youths throwing stones.

A fatal car accident on Sunday night in which the driver lost control of his vehicle and died has also been blamed on stone-throwing, Haaretz newspaper reported.

Disputed site

The area that houses the al-Aqsa mosque is the third-holiest site in Islam and the most sacred site in Judaism.

Palestinians are opposed to Israeli control over religious sites in east Jerusalem, which was seized during the 1967 Six Day War. Its occupation has never been recognized by the international community.

Palästina Israel Zusammenstöße in Jerusalem
Israeli policemen arrest a Palestinian young man during clashes in the east Jerusalem Arab neighbourhood of IssawiyaImage: Getty Images/AFP/A. Gharabli

Muslims fear Israel will seek to change the rules governing the site, with far-right Jewish groups pushing for more access. Fringe organizations are also attempting to erect a new temple in the area.

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas condemned Sunday's raid, saying sites such as Al-Aqsa constituted a "red line," adding that "we will not allow attacks against our holy places."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said police would act "to maintain the status quo and order" at the compound and called an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the uptick in violence in Jerusalem and its vicinity.

mm/ls (AFP, dpa)