Police vow 'firm hand' against Jerusalem rioters
Police officials accuse Arab youth of taking advantage of decision not to restrict age of worshippers on Temple Mount so as not to harm freedom of worship. Some 20 police officers, 60 Palestinians injured in clashes Friday. 'Any attempt to cause disturbances will be handled highhandedly,' source threatens
According to the police sources, the Palestinian youths took advantage of the decision not to restrict the age of the worshippers so as not to harm the freedom of worship.
The Jerusalem Police are expected to hold an evaluation of the situation over the weekend in order to decide whether to restrict the age of worshippers seeking to pray at the Temple Mount mosques in the coming days.
Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch arrived at the Temple Mount on Friday afternoon and accused Hamas and the Islamic Movement's northern branch of igniting the riots in Jerusalem's Old City and its surroundings,
The Palestinian Authority, on the other hand, pointed a finger at Israel. According to a special statement released by the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, "Today's events were aimed at damaging the chances of resuming the peace process and Israel is crossing all the red lines – after the Arab League's monitoring committee recommended that the negotiations between the sides be resumed."
The statement also said that Abbas, who was being updated on the events in Jerusalem, had called on the American administration to "stop the adventure which may ignite a religious war in the region" and demanded that the international community "take responsibility and stop the Israeli recklessness, which may have serious implications on the entire region and on peace and security in the entire world."
