Israel police ban Jews from Jerusalem holy site

[May 16, 2013]  JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli police have temporarily barred Israeli Jews and tourists from entering the most hotly contested Jerusalem holy site after Palestinian demonstrations.

Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the ban, announced Thursday, is a precaution.

On Wednesday, violence erupted as the Palestinians held an annual day of mourning and protests over the displacement of Palestinians following Israel's creation in 1948. Police say Jewish worshippers inside the Old City were attacked during the unrest.

Jews and Muslims revere hilltop the site, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque was built above the ruins of the biblical Jewish Temples. The competing claims are a key issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Rosenfeld said the site remains open for Muslims and will reopen for others after security assessments. Palestinians see visits by Jews as a provocation, and disturbances often erupt.

[Associated Press]

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