Jerusalem - After a day of clashes near the Temple Mount compound in East Jerusalem, Israeli police decided to keep it closed on Monday, the spokesman for Jerusalem police Mickey Rosenfeld confirmed. The clashes broke out on Sunday morning in the Old City of Jerusalem when the Israeli police restricted Muslims under 50 years old and visitors from entering the Al-Aqsa mosque, inside the Temple Mount compound.
Around 150 Muslims started throwing stones and bottles at the police and three were arrested after the incident, in which one policemen and one reporter were lightly injured.
Jerusalem's senior Fatah official, Khatem Abed Al-Kadr, and Deputy leader of Israel's northern Islamic Movement, Sheikh Kemal Khativ, were also arrested on suspicion of inciting riots.
Both of them were released Sunday afternoon and police prohibited them from entering the Old City of Jerusalem for 15 days.
Jerusalem police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld explained that East Jerusalem will be under extra security measures on Monday, when thousands of Jews are expected to congregate at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest existing site, which abuts the Temple Mount compound, to mark the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles).
Only men aged 50 and older and women of all ages with Israeli ID will be allowed to enter the complex to pray at the Al Aqsa mosque.
The first clashes broke out last Sunday when a group of Jewish tourists accompanied by Israeli police arrived at the Temple Mount compound.
Muslims who were praying in Al Aqsa mosque had heard rumours about Jewish settlers coming to the complex to rededicate it as a Jewish holy site on the eve of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement.
The Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif compound, in Jerusalem's Old City, is holy to Muslims, who believe it marks the spot from where Mohammed ascended to heaven, and also holy to Jews, as it marks the spot where their biblical Temple once stood.
Flyers distributed in East Jerusalem last week called on Muslims to "come and protect" the compound, Israel's Y-net news website reported. According to Israel Radio, Muslim worshippers were afraid Jews would be allowed to pray in the compound.
"I call on everyone in Jerusalem and within the Green Line to come to the (Al-Aqsa) mosque and show your presence," said Sheik Ra'ad Salah, one of the heads of the Islamic Movement, on Sunday, Ha'aretz newspaper reported.
