Over 1,000 Jewish worshipers visit Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day morning
Clashes erupted between police and Palestinians at the compound.
By UDI SHAHAMJews walk around the Temple Mount during Jerusalem Day, May 13th, 3018. (Credit: Courtesy)
Around 1,620 Jewish worshipers visited the Temple Mount compound Sunday as part of the festivities of the 51st Jerusalem Day, commemorating the reunification of the city.The Temple Mount movements have launched a wide-scale campaign ahead of Jerusalem Day, calling the public to join the mass visits.The site was opened for three hours in the morning and will be opened once again for one hour in the afternoon.Although forbidden, some Jewish worshipers bowed in prayer on the Temple Mount and captured the action in videos shared on social media.The Israel Police said in a statement that “during a Jewish tour on the Temple Mount, some of the visitors broke the rules and caused a provocation, after which they were forced to leave the place in order to identify them and understand the situation.”Police also said that the visits are continuing as usual.“The Israel Police is working in a wide range of checks and balances while making sure that law and the rules of the place are enforced, and will not let anyone break the law,” they added.In the morning, clashes erupted between police forces accompanying the visitors and Palestinians who protested against the Jewish presence at the compound.Police did not report any arrests.In light of the morning’s events, Ir Amim researcher Aviv Tatarsky said, “Police are once again wrong for cooperating with the Temple Mount movement. They allowed the entrance of large groups to the compound and the activists took advantage of it to break the status quo,” he said.
“The policemen [who were present at the scene] refrained from acting against this breach of the status quo and instead acted violently against Palestinian protesters,” he added.Later on Sunday, the annual Flag March scheduled to take place.Tensions have risen in the capital ahead of Jerusalem Day, the US embassy move on Monday and the Palestinian Nakba Day, literally "the catastrophe," when Palestinians commemorate Israel's army expelling them from their on Tuesday.Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld told the Post last week that the police do not have any information or indication as of now of any planned disturbances..“But in the past, police have dealt with disturbances before, during and after the event,” he said.