Palestinians clash with police on Temple Mount; 2 arrested

Several Palestinian rioters barricaded themselves inside the mosque at the Jerusalem shrine overnight and shot off fireworks as Jewish visitors began arriving in the morning
Einav Halabi|
Several Palestinian rioters barricaded themselves in the mosque on the Temple Mount overnight and shot off fireworks Monday morning as Jewish visitors began arriving at the Jerusalem shrine.
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  • Meanwhile, dozens of rioters threw stones at policemen and shouted inflammatory chants near the Old City's Lions' Gate area. Two suspects were arrested on suspicion of throwing stones.
    2 View gallery
    מתיחות במסגד אל אקצא לאור כניסת יהודים
    מתיחות במסגד אל אקצא לאור כניסת יהודים
    Stones collected by rioters to throw at police forces; police at Temple Mount
    Footage from the scene shows a policeman pushing a man who is arguing with him, and the latter falling to the ground and losing consciousness. The man received medical care.
    The police stated that despite the unrest, tours of the Temple Mount by Jewish visitors continued as usual, and so as Muslim prayer sermons.
    The police said that in recent days "many false and untrue publications regarding the Temple Mount have been circulating on social media, with the aim of agitating and inciting violence."
    According to the police, these publications are distributed by "hostile and interested parties", while there is no change to the status quo on the Temple Mount which bans Jewish prayer at the site but allows Jewish visitors to ascend the hilltop shrine.
    2 View gallery
    ערב חג ראש השנה בירושלים
    ערב חג ראש השנה בירושלים
    Jewish visitors at the Temple Mount
    (Photo: AP)
    Law enforcement said that "anyone who disrupts the order in the holy places and acts with violence of any kind will be dealt with decisively."
    Hamas has issued statements in recent days encouraging Palestinians to confront the police on the Temple Mount to "defend" the site's al-Aqsa Mosque from purported Israeli aggression, an allegation it repeatedly voices in order to stir hostile sentiments among Muslim believers around sensitive times, like Jewish and Muslim holidays.
    However, Monday's clashes were relatively small compared to the riots that took place on the Temple Mount in April in which dozens of rioters were injured and arrested in weeks of unrest.
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