Jerusalem under tight security for Jewish, Muslim holidays

Israeli police said Monday that thousands of officers would be deployed in Jerusalem ahead of the Yom Kippur and Eid al-Adha holidays after three days of clashes rocked the Al-Aqsa mosque compound last week.

Authorities also said 21 Palestinians were arrested overnight in east Jerusalem for disturbing public order linked to last week's unrest at Al-Aqsa which saw Israeli police clash with rioters.

Those arrests were in addition to 39 others in the West Bank and east Jerusalem at the weekend.

Yom Kippur begins Tuesday night and lasts until Wednesday evening, with thousands of Jews expected to visit the Western Wall below the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's Old City.

The Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday begins Wednesday and continues until Sunday.

Beginning on Monday night, traffic will be restricted around the Old City and checkpoints will be set up.

Last week's clashes occurred as Jews celebrated their New Year, or Rosh Hashanah.

Police said they raided the Al-Aqsa compound to stop youths who had barricaded themselves inside the mosque from disrupting visits by Jews and tourists.

Clashes broke out during the raids, with protesters throwing fireworks, stones and other material at police, who responded with stun grenades.

There were also clashes in the alleyways of Jerusalem's Old City outside the mosque compound. Further unrest occurred on Friday in the occupied West Bank and sporadically in Jerusalem.

Al-Aqsa is the third-holiest site in Islam, but the site is also venerated by Jews as the Temple Mount and is considered the most sacred in Judaism.

Muslims have been alarmed by an increase in visits by Jews to the site and fear rules governing the compound will be changed. Jews are allowed to visit but not to pray, to avoid provoking tensions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said repeatedly he is committed to the status quo at the site.

Israel seized east Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.

In a further sign of tight security, Israel has also deployed two anti-missile batteries around the cities of Sderot and Netivot near the Gaza Strip, army radio reported.

Three rockets were fired into southern Israel in recent days from the Palestinian enclave, without causing any injuries.
Source: AFP