Israel Matzav

Temple Mount: 'Palestinians' riot, dumb Jews close it down

The 'Palestinians' called for their 'people' to remain on the Temple Mount on Sunday to protect it from the Jooos. Instead of enforcing the law, the Israeli police shut the Temple Mount down. And then the 'Palestinians' threw stones down on the Jews below at the Western Wall anyway (fortunately, long after I left - I was there this morning from about 5:00 until 7:00 - so now you know why I haven't posted much today!).

With hundreds of thousands of people expected to visit the Kotel and the Old City this week, Jerusalem police on Sunday decided to close the Temple Mount – both to visitors and Muslim worshippers – after leaflets were distributed in Arab neighborhoods near the Old City calling on Muslims to "come and defend the mountain." The leaflets were given large amounts of exposure in local Arab media, and police are seeking to prevent Arab riots, especially on Monday, when the mass Birkat Cohanim (Priestly Blessing) takes place at the Kotel.

I won't be there for that either, but I do plan to be at the Kotel between 5:00 and 7:00 on Monday morning as well.

JPost adds:

At least 100 Palestinians on the Temple Mount are refusing to leave the area despite an Israeli decision made on Sunday morning to shut down the site due to security concerns.

The Palestinian Authority and the Waqf have instructed the men to arrive at the site on Saturday night and stay put, fearing what they called a Jewish takeover.

Approximately 150 Arabs hurled rocks and bottles at security forces in the Old City on Sunday morning shortly after the decision to shut down the compound.

Border police closed off roads around the Old City and dispersed the rioters into the neighborhood of Wadi Joz, where residents briefly joined in the disturbances.

I'm sure glad I didn't listen to the passenger who wanted me to drive through Wadi Joz (an Arab neighborhood along the the edge of the Jewish neighborhoods) on the way to the Old City this morning. I'm generally very sensitive to getting my car windows broken! Especially while I'm driving!

But guess what: The US State Department doesn't want me to be in the Old City this week either!

National Union MK Michael Ben Ari blasted the police for giving a prize to terror by closing the Temple Mount.

MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) said that the closure of the Temple Mount Sunday morning by Israeli police fearing Arab riots was a "prize for the rioters." Police closed the site over fears that Arabs would carry out riots while hundreds of thousands of Jews visited the Old City for Hol Hamoed this week.

"I call on the Internal Security ministry to protect democracy and allow the entry of Jewish worshippers to the Temple Mount," Ben-Ari said.

Also on Sunday morning, the police turned back a group of 'Israeli Arabs' from Northern Israel who were headed to Jerusalem on Highway 6 (the 'trans-national highway') to join the rioters in Jerusalem.

Can you imagine the police in your city pre-emptively closing a site of international interest rather than confronting rioters? How long do you think it would take until the police had no control over the site whatsoever? What could go wrong?

Monday should really be fun. I should start by planning to park a 30-minute walk away from the Temple Mount....

UPDATE 5:59 PM

Here's raw video (mostly screaming in Arabic) of this morning's events on the Temple Mount.

Let's go to the videotape.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:11 PM