Posted on 04/15/2022 8:27:26 AM PDT by SJackson
Thousands of Palestinians attempted to visit the site in Jerusalem for morning Ramadan prayers as tensions remain high.
Clashes broke out between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli security forces on the Temple Mount on Friday morning after a small group of protesters gathered stones and wood chunks to throw at Jewish worshipers and Israeli security forces.
According to the Red Crescent, 150 have been injured so far, as well as eight Israel Police officers. According to Palestinian reports, police used tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber bullets to break up the crowd that continued to protest after prayers ended. Some Palestinians waved Hamas flags and threw stones and fireworks towards Jewish worshipers at the Western Wall.
Over 300 protesters have been arrested so far.
"Rioters hoisted Hamas flags and threw stones at police," officer Eliyahu Levy told Army Radio. "In order not to infringe on the freedom of worship, we waited until the end of prayers and then went in to disperse the rioters." Israel Police later added that it will not allow rioters to disturb the public right to prayer.
He added that there are around 100 rioters out of approximately 12,000 worshipers.
"We are ready and prepared for any scenario," said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
"The violence levied at the Temple Mount this morning is unforgivable and stands against every religious belief in Israel," said Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. "We are committed to religious freedom."
"We did everything we could to avoid entering the Temple Mount," said Israel Police chief Kobi Shabtai. "We tried to leave the organization and management to the Waqf. When rioters threw fireworks and stones at Jewish worshipers down at the Western Wall, we intervened and arrested them.
"We will not stand for attacks against law enforcement and against law-abiding Muslims who are here to pray," he added.
United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland wrote on Twitter that he was "Deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation" on the temple Mount.
" Provocations on the Holy Esplanade must stop now. Allowing tensions to spiral further only risks another escalation."
The Jordanian foreign ministry reportedly harshly condemned the actions of Israeli security forces on the Mount, calling it a "serious violation" of Israel's responsibility to the site.
The office of Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel is turning a political disagreement into a religious war, pinning the responsibility on Israeli action and police on the Mount.
Sheikh Omar Al-Kiswani from the al-Aqsa Mosque called on the Palestinian people to come to the Temple Mount on Friday and defend it, Palestinian media reported.
Hamas, PFLP and PIJ condemned the assault on Palestinian worshipers and called on Palestinians everywhere to support their "defense" of al-Aqsa.
Religious Zionist MK Itamar Ben-Gvir condemned Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev for the riots, accusing him of not letting the police properly handle the situation.
"Even now, in the face of the videos and reports from the Temple Mount, it can be said that unfortunately, Minister Bar Lev is preventing the police from responding properly," Ben-Gvir said in a statement.
"When terrorists are throwing stones at the Western Wall and trying to kill [Jewish] worshipers and police officers, it is expected that the police will intervene and not just stand by," he added.
"Access to al-Aqsa is a religious Muslim right that keeps getting hampered by daily incursions into by Israeli security forces. They prompt angry responses," Ra'am said.
"The only solution to these clashes is to restrict access to anyone who isn't Muslim to the Temple Mount."
Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi arrived on the Mount after it was reopened to worshipers.
Ra'am head Mansour Abbas further told the Israeli-Arab A-Shams radio broadcast that he passed on the message to all relevant political and police figures that the Temple Mount is a red line for the party a weak thread in the stability of the coalition.
Ra'am MK Mazen Ghanaim warned Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in a letter that he would pull out of the coalition if police activity on the Temple Mount is not halted. The coalition is currently being held together by exactly 60 seats.
The Joint List released a statement after the larger clashes calmed down, saying: "The occupation is trying to escalate matters. Keep your hands off of al-Aqsa and off of Jerusalem," condemning the arrests and restriction of movement.
We have said time and again that our goal is to allow freedom of worship to everyone on the Temple Mount. That has not changed," said Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev.
He added that police acted bravely, enduring risks to their own safety by blocking rioters who gathered stones and metalware to hurt other worshipers, and added: "We have no interest in the Mount becoming a center of violence. It will hurt everyone involved."
Bar Lev took to social media on Friday afternoon, stating that he had conducted a situational assessment with the Police Chief and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) regarding the incident on Temple Mount earlier in the day.
"I reiterate that we intend to work for freedom of worship at the Western Wall and Temple Mount," he said. "The police officers acted during the morning with no choice and only after it was clear that if they did not act then the prayers of tens and thousands of Muslims would not be able to end quietly."
"We are in a very complex time period, and it is important to us that despite great sensitivity, Muslims will be able to pray on the Temple Mount unhindered, certainly during Ramadan, as well as Jews at the Western Wall. We will continue to work for freedom of worship on the mount."
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites, called on Muslim religious authorities to work to stop the violence.
One of the reasons given for calls to arms seen on social media in recent days is that Jewish worshipers will try to perform a ritual sacrifice on a lamb ahead of Passover.
"Offering up an animal sacrifice on the Temple Mount is forbidden by the Israeli Rabbinate," added Rabinowitz.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai thanked Israeli security forces who "continue to do everything they can to fight terror and incitement," he wrote on Twitter.
In addition, three Jews were arrested by guards of the al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday evening while attempting to sneak into the Temple Mount through the Council Gate while wearing Arab clothing, according to Palestinian reports.
Those arrests came as large crowds of Muslims were conducting evening prayers at the site.
Tensions have risen in recent days around the site amid warnings by Palestinian factions against plans by fringe groups to conduct the Passover sacrifice at the site this Friday. Israeli officials have stressed that doing so is forbidden and a number of Jews who were planning to do so have been arrested.
SSDD
BTW, where’s the breathless stories about offering Passover sacrifices and rebuilding the Temple?
Sacrifices,,,
Well, headed to End Times.
It’s always the Palis.
Just a typical Friday after prayers for the Muzzies. I saw it every Friday during the times I’ve been to Israel. They get fired up at Friday prayers. I guess the Imams turn it into a pep rally against the Jews.
The Palis are one of the few groups supporting Russia in Ukraine
Hope I’m not that
Breathless.
I was at The Wall in 1997,
That was “Breathless!”
I spent 10 days in the Old City wandering Aimlessly
With a camera and a Bible.
Felt like I was “Home.”
Is it Ramadan? Do they need an excuse/
The organized plot
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sktj1pk4c
Pallywood:
___
https://rotter.net/forum/scoops1/740165.shtml
Apr 21, 2022
Incitement and Fake: A left-wing organization distributes documentation of a terrorist firing fireworks from a mosque on the Temple Mount as if it were a police officer firing into the mosque.
Ariel Danino @arieldanino Tweeted:
The propaganda machine against Jews:
A video taken from the mosque of Arab terrorists who broke the window of their “holy place,” and an Arab terrorist sits and fires fireworks direct fire at police and Jews.
The kangaroo-court organization “Mistaklim” tweets this lie and all the left-wing bots share without even looking at the video.
https://twitter.com/arieldanino/status/1517091660462800896
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