World Jewish News
Clashes on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount for the third consecutive day as police secure area for Jewish visitors
16.09.2015, Israel Clashes erupted at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for the third consecutive day on Tuesday after Israeli police came to secure the area for Jewish visitors on the second day of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.
When Israeli security forces entered the plaza of the site dozens of face-covered Palestinian youth met them with a barrage of stones, blocks, and firecrackers at the Mughrabi Gate, which grants access to the site from the Western Wall plaza below and is the only gate that can be used by non-Muslims.
The youth tried to block off the door to al-Aksa Mosque but the security forces managed to push them inside the building, Israel Radio reported.
The police said it had secured the site to receive visitors after an unspecified number of suspects were arrested and five police officers were lightly injured and were treated at the scene.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called to convene an emergency ministerial meeting after the end of the Rosh Hashana holiday on Tuesday evening in light of the violence.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said the premier, "sees the severity of the throwing of rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli citizens, and plans to fight the phenomenon by all means, including making punishments more severe and enforcement."
Police chief Bentzi Sau vowed that protesters would not be allowed to threaten security of visitors to the site.
In an incident on Sunday night, a man in his sixties died from his wounds in what police said may have been a rock-throwing terrorist attack on his car.
Two other people who were driving with the man in his car were injured when they were pelted with stones, causing the driver to lose control and hit an electricity pole, police said. The incident took place near Asher Weiner Street in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood.
EJP
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