Muslim Youths Attack Police at East Jerusalem Mosque - from TRUNEWS

For the second straight day, Palestinian youths threw rocks and other projectiles at Israeli police in the area surrounding the al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem.

The Palestinian youth were attempting to harass the far-right orthodox Jews who were visiting the site in a celebration of Rosh Hashanah.  The location is considered very holy to both Jews and Muslims, and Muslims have been claiming for years that the far-right Jews plan to build a synagogue on the site despite repeated denials by the Israeli government.

“As the police entered the compound, masked youths fled inside the mosque and threw stones at the force,” Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told reporters.

“Police officers entered the area, I am talking about the Temple Mount area only, and shut the front doors of the Al-Aqsa Mosque to prevent those riots from overflowing onto the Temple Mount area.

“Our police units took the situation under control from 20 to 25 minutes only using stun grenades, non-lethal weapons only to make sure that situation remained calm.”

At least nine arrests were made by police.

The Palestinian Murabitat and Murabitun “sentinel” groups ave been monitoring the Jews who visit the site under police guard.  The Jews are permitted on the site for five days each week but are prohibited from praying aloud on the site.  The Israeli government says the Muslims have been harassing the Jews who visit including the throwing of rocks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would “use any means to maintain the status quo and the rule of law on the Temple Mount”.  Emergency talks concerning the outbreak of violence on the site is being called for Tuesday night.

Israeli officials also confirmed the capture of a weapons cache in Palestinian areas near the site of the mosque.  The weapons included a significant number of pipe bombs.

Palestinian officials were quick to condemn the Israeli police.

“The presidency strongly condemns the attack by the occupier’s military and police against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the aggression against the faithful who were there,” a statement from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ office read.

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