About 100,000 Muslim worshippers arrived at al-Aqsa Mosque and the Temple Mount for the first Friday afternoon prayers of the month of Ramadan, with thousands of police reinforcements operating in the area to keep the peace.
The prayers were conducted without any reported violence or disturbances.
After the dawn (Fajr) prayers on Friday morning, worshippers leaving al-Aqsa through the Lion's Gate were filmed chanting "we are the men of Mohammad Deif," a common chant referencing and expressing support for Hamas's military commander Mohammad Deif.
تغطية صحفية: "حط السيف قبال السيف احنا رجال محمد ضيف.. هتافات الشبان بعد أدائهم صلاة الجمعة في المسجد الأقصى المبارك". pic.twitter.com/F9NAmtrGhD
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) March 24, 2023
After the Friday afternoon prayers, a small group of young men chanted "Put sword against sword. We are Mohammad Deif's men!" on the Temple Mount and held a banner expressing support for Palestinian terrorist groups. The banner and a number of Hamas flags were hung up near the Dome of the Rock. One of the individuals who raised the flags was arrested after exiting the site and additional individuals were expected to be arrested as well.
Later in the afternoon, police entered the Temple Mount and removed the banner and the flags. Palestinians at the scene chanted slogans and jeered at the police officers.
Police chief: Unique fabric of life in Jerusalem must be preserved
After a situation assessment on Friday morning, police chief Kobi Shabtai stressed that "this period is sensitive and complex, and we as the police are strained from end to end to meet the tasks and challenges throughout the country and in Jerusalem."
"The unique fabric of life that exists in East Jerusalem, the Old City and the Temple Mount must be preserved. There is no doubt that the smart and correct activity to deal with exceptional incidents and rioters is significant and must continue as long as necessary," added Shabtai. "It is important that every police officer understands the mission, the customs of the holiday and the correct conduct. The consciousness of the mission is important and it is important to respect every person."
The commander of Israel Police's Jerusalem District, Doron Turgeman, added that "So far the holiday atmosphere is well preserved, and this is evident in the meetings I held last night and this morning with residents in the Old City area. We will continue to work so that there is freedom of worship and movement for everyone while maintaining security, order and the law."
Before the Friday prayers, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir held a situation assessment with the chief of police, the commander of the Jerusalem District and senior police officials.
"We are happy that people come to the Temple Mount to pray, we will certainly allow freedom of worship and it is important that people come to Jerusalem to pray. On the other hand, it should be clear, freedom of worship there will certainly be, but the police will definitely not allow incitement, sedition, riots and events that need to be responded to decisively and sharply," said Ben-Gvir after the situation assessment.
The minister stressed that there must be freedom of movement for Jews in Jerusalem as well, saying "there is a deficit of many policemen. This is a limited force, which is why I am so insistent on the nine billion [shekels for the budget] I agreed on with the prime minister because this money can bring a lot of policemen [and] a national guard. This money can bring a lot of strength to Jerusalem."
"We must do everything in our power to increase love, brotherhood and peace in these days, for the honor of our beliefs and for the honor of Jerusalem."
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, rabbi of the Western Wall
"But on the other hand, there are no excuses, even if the forces are lacking, I expect and believe that the police will do what is assigned to them, on the one hand, to allow freedom of worship, on the other hand, [to act with] zero tolerance. [To act with] determination and strive for contact if, God forbid, someone seeks to cause harm, to violate the peace and, all the more so, to carry out terrorist attacks."
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, the rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites, called on other religious leaders in Jerusalem to "extend to each other a hand of reconciliation and brotherhood between believers, in the Old City of Jerusalem and in the whole Land of Israel."
"I would like to call from here to the religious leaders of the communities of believers in Jerusalem - God forbid if we turn the holy city into bloodshed," said Rabinovitch. "We must do everything in our power to increase love, brotherhood and peace in these days, for the honor of our beliefs and for the honor of Jerusalem. We will condemn and drive away those who wish to harm the peace of the city, and we will celebrate this month our lives in peace."