Temple Mount opens to Jewish visitors for Rosh Hashana after police quell riot
An Israeli police officer on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount on Monday was injured by two stone-throwing youth as police prepared the site for Jewish visitors for the Jewish New Year. The officer received medical treatment at the scene. Three stone-throwers were arrested.
Jerusalem District Police Chief Moshe Edri and his forces were present at the Temple Mount compound on Monday to ensure the public’s safety. As they entered, rioters whose faces were covered ran in the direction of al-Aqsa Mosque and threw objects at the Israeli forces from there. The forces overcame the obstacles that were placed in front of the mosque, forced the rioters inside and shut the door behind them.
Following the disturbances, Jewish visitors and tourists began to enter the site normally and police said that around 500 people visited on Monday morning.
In a separate incident in the morning, a Jewish youth in the Old City passing near the Temple Mount was attacked by Muslim hooligans but security forces managed to push back the attackers. Two suspects were arrested and the victim was treated at the scene.
As police quelled the riot in the capital, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would convene an emergency meeting after the end of the Rosh Hashana holiday on Tuesday evening to discuss the challenge of ending the acts of rioters who throw stones and firebombs in Jerusalem and area.