Police forces deployed by the thousands in Jerusalem on Friday morning due to fears that Muslims will again riot at the Temple Mount. Tension surrounding the construction work at the Mugrabi Gate has not decreased, despite Turkey's offer Thursday to send inspectors to monitor the project.
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An east Jerusalem resident who attacked police officers in the area was arrested in the late morning hours. In another incident, two young east Jerusalem residents were detained after trying to forcefully enter the Temple Mount and attacking police officers.
There were no injuries in both incident and the three detainees were taken in for questioning.
The Islamic Movement in Israel Thursday promised to continue its protests and expressed its outrage over the understanding with Turkey, saying it would further calculate its actions based on what is happening in the field and not according to "news reports."
Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi stated during a security assessment held on Thursday that some 3,000 police and Border Police forces were set to deploy around the Temple Mount, the Old City and East Jerusalem on Friday. Forces will also be stationed around some of the villages surrounding Jerusalem.
Police officer wounded during last week's riots (Photo: Yoav Galai)
During the assessment it was also decided to tighten security measures for Friday prayers and police will only allow Muslim men over 50 with Israeli ID cards to enter the site. Women previously enjoyed no restrictions but after they participated in last week's riots it was decided this week that only women aged 40 and over will be allowed in.
Last week, police forces ultimately had to break into the Temple Mount site after rioters began hurling rocks. Several policemen and civilians were wounded during the clashes and police used stun grenades to disperse the crowd. Over the course of the past week police detained almost 100 East Jerusalem residents suspected of participating in the riots – which were caught on camera.
"Our goal tomorrow is to have the prayers on the Temple Mount end peacefully, without riots and with no one hurt," said Karadi.
On Thursday the Israel Antiquities Authority began broadcasting live images of the Mugrabi Gate works on the internet as part of the effort to disprove Muslim claims that the work would damage nearby mosques.
Three cameras are currently operational at the site and will continue to broadcast the live images 24 hours a day, Antiquities Authority spokeswoman Osnat Goaz said.
''They film all angles of the works so people can view what's going there all hours of the day. The works do not go anywhere near any holy site and everybody can see that from the cameras," she said. Click to see live feed of Mugrabi Gate excavations
However Muslims said they were not satisfied with the cameras.
''This procedure is not enough,'' said Ismail Radwan, a spokesman for Hamas. ''The Zionist enemy is engaging in trickery and continuing its digging. We don't trust these procedures.''
Earlier Thursday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to allow a Turkish inspection
of the construction works following a request from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's request.
Olmert,
who is on an official trip to Ankara, came prepared with photographs and maps of the construction site, but Erdogan said he would only rule on the matter after a team of technical experts from Turkey inspected the site.
Olmert in Turkey with Erdogan (Photo: AP)
During a joint press conference Erdogan said that Olmert's photographs had failed to convince him that there was no danger to Muslim interests on the Temple Mount and that he had proposed the idea of a Turkish inspection.
Olmert said he welcomed the move: "I told him, we have nothing to hide, we'd be happy to show, to cooperate, with anyone. But the construction itself is outside the Temple Mount and has nothing to do with what is holy to Christians and Muslims."
Arab Israeli MK Talab El-Sana (United Arab List-Ta'al) said Olmert's decision to allow the Turkish team Temple Mount would not calm Muslim anger.
"This is a strange and peculiar policy of improvisations. What do the Turks have to do with the Temple Mount? This proposal will not lead to calm, and instead of going as far as Turkey, Olmert needs and should speak with the Waqf, only a few dozen meters from his office," El-Sana said.
The Waqf largely refuses to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the site and usually conducts its business directly with the Jerusalem municipality. As such Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski invited Adnan Husseini, head of the Muslim Waqf, for a meeting last week to discuss the tensions, though the invitation has so far reportedly gone unanswered.
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