Israel limits Muslim access to Temple Mount amid protest concerns

Israel has restricted Muslim men under the age of 50 from a visiting a holy Jerusalem shrine on Friday and deployed about 3,000 police nearby, ahead of expected Muslim protests over the installation of metal detectors at the holy site.

The age restrictions and police deployment came hours after Israel’s security Cabinet decided not to overrule an earlier police decision to install metal detectors at the gates to the walled compound at Temple Mount.

The volatile Jerusalem shrine – known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount – is revered by both faiths, and sits at the centre of rival Israeli and Palestinian national narratives and has triggered major confrontations in the past.

Police installed the metal detectors earlier this week, after two Israeli policemen were killed by a Palestinian gunmen, in an attack launched from the shrine.

Police announced on Friday that Muslim men under the age of 50 would be banned from the shrine and that it was sending reinforcements to Jerusalem, after Muslim worshipers and Israeli police clashed over the issue.

Muslim leaders called on worshippers to pray in the streets near the shrine rather than walk through metal detectors. Over the course of the week, growing numbers of Palestinian worshippers have participated in street prayers, particularly in the evenings. Following prayers, some Palestinian protesters have clashed with police.

On Thursday evening, Israeli police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters who, according to police, threw rocks and bottles.

“Police and border police units mobilised in all areas and neighbourhoods,” said spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, adding that about 3,000 members of the security forces had been deployed.

A Palestinian advocacy group said Israeli police detained 10 prominent Palestinian activists in Jerusalem, including the leader of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement in the city.

Israeli police made no immediate comment.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the security Cabinet had decided to defer to police on security arrangements at the shrine.

“The Cabinet authorised the police to make all decisions in order to ensure free access to holy sites while ensuring security and public order,” the statement said. It added thatIsrael is committed to preserving “the status quo at the Temple Mount and free access to holy sites”.

The decision to defer to police came amid reports of disagreement among Israel’s security services about the need for the metal detectors. The military and the Shin Bet security services, which deal directly with Palestinians and potential unrest, were reportedly opposed to the devices.

Israel had come under growing pressure this week, including from security ally Jordan, to remove the metal detectors. Jordan is the custodian of the Muslim-administered walled compound, which houses the Al Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques.

Muslim leaders have alleged that the detectors are part of a purported Israeli attempt to expand control over the site. Israel has denied such allegations, arguing that they are routine security devices.