Israel said on Thursday it was enforcing a long-standing ban on Jewish prayer at the compound of Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, rejecting an Arab League accusation that it was allowing such worship to take place.
Violence at the compound, revered in Judaism as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, has surged over the past week, raising concerns about a slide back into wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Palestinian protesters hurl stones at police forces outside the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during clashes last Friday
(Photo: EPA)
Israeli security forces have been on high alert with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coinciding with the Jewish holiday Passover and Christianity's Easter.
The Arab League said Israel has broken the status-quo and was allowing Jews to pray at the compound, calling it a "provocation." Israel, however, said there has been no change in its long-standing ban on Jewish prayer at the flashpoint site.
"Israel is maintaining the status quo, which includes the freedom of prayer for Muslims and the right to visit for non-Muslims. The police enforce the ban on Jewish prayer," said Lior Haiat, a spokesperson for Israel's Foreign Ministry.
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Jewish men prostrate on the ground in prayer outside the gate after a visit to the Temple Mount on Wednesday
(Photo: AFP)
"Over the last few years, Israel is not allowing Jews to visit the Temple Mount during the last 10 days of Ramadan to prevent any friction," he said.
That 10-day period starts on Friday.
The future of Jerusalem is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Old City is in East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in a 1967 Six Day War and annexed in a move that has not won international recognition.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a state they seek to establish in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.