The site was open to visitors from all faiths from 7:30 am to 11 am and then again from 1:30 pm until 2:30 pm.Prior to entry, security personnel gathered groups of 60 men, women and children following a security check, and they entered the area guarded heavily. Each group was kept close together and contained, restricted from roaming the plaza freely. Some 10-15 security guards surrounded the groups as they walked along the walls of the Temple Mount.Many visitors were bedecked in white and were not wearing any leather in order to respect the sanctity of the holy site. Visitors were warned not to pray, bow, damage or touch anything.Singing was prohibited as well.Despite the warnings, many people prayed quietly to themselves.Jerusalem Day, which is usually a day of high tension in the holy city, is especially so this year, coming one day before the US Embassy is being moved from Tel Aviv to the Jerusalem. Monday is also Independence Day on the Gregorian calendar, marked by Palestinians as Nakba Day, meaning "catastrophe," referring to the 1948 war in which many Arab locals throughout the country were forced to leave their homes.The Temple Mount is the holiest site for the Jewish people and was the location for numerous pivotal moments in the Bible. It is believed to be the location where God created Adam from the dust, where Abraham brought Isaac in order to sacrifice him and where kings Solomon and Hezekiah built the first and second Temples, respectively.The site is considered the third holiest Muslim site, believed to be the location from which Muhammad rose to heaven.יום יבוא בקרוב מאוד, בני, ודגל ישראל יונף בגאון על הר הבית, בבית המקדש. שמח בך ומברך אותך על האומץ והכבוד הלאומי שהפגנת.יום ירושלים שמח!! pic.twitter.com/fm7ycmxMRu
— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) May 13, 2018
Prayer, clashes - but mostly tight security - on Temple Mount
Visitors were warned not to pray, bow, damage or touch anything.
