Jerusalem – Israeli police were on high alert in hopes of preventing clashes on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, officials said.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Police have been in discussions with Israeli Arab representatives to try to prevent tensions after the burning of a mosque in Upper Galilee this week, Haaretz reported.
The West Bank was sealed by security forces at midnight Thursday and it will remain blocked for 48 hours except for humanitarian or medical reasons.
At noon Friday, the Taba border crossing and the Yitzhak Rabin and Jordan River border crossings to Jordan were to shut down and will remain closed until 9 p.m. Saturday, while the Allenby terminal between Israel and Jordan was to close at 11 a.m. Crossings to Jordan and Gaza also were scheduled to close.
Flights to and from Israel were to be halted from 1 p.m. Friday to 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Mass prayers, intended for people who don’t go to synagogues regularly, were scheduled.
Most Jews in Israel observe Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, public opinion surveys have found.