Jerusalem – Israeli police say they have arrested five Palestinians for allegedly “causing a disturbance” at a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site.
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The men took part in a prayer protest Monday outside a section of the hilltop compound that has been closed by Israeli court order for over a decade.
Muslim religious officials convened in the closed area last week, and Israeli police placed a lock on a fence in response. Videos purportedly of Monday’s incident show several men damaging the fence.
The site — known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary — is considered the holiest place in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam. Any change to the status quo, no matter how minor, has the potential to ignite tensions.
Muslim religious authorities would close the Kosel and all of the Har to Yidden if they could.