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Israeli Police Storm Holy Site to Stop Protesters

   VOA News 28 February 2010

Photo: AP

   Masked  Palestinian youths prepare to throw stones and firecrackers at
   Israeli  police,  not seen, as they are backdropped by the Dome of the
   Rock  Mosque, during clashes in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras
   Al Amud, Sunday, 28 Feb. 2010

   Israeli  police say they raided a courtyard near the al-Aqsa mosque in
   Jerusalem Sunday to stop stone-throwing Palestinian protesters.
   Local  media  reports  say about 30 protesters have trapped themselves
   inside the mosque.
   Police say there are no injuries, and one arrest has been made.
   Palestinians  have staged violent protests since Israel announced this
   past  week  that it has added the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and
   Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem to its heritage restoration plan.
   The  plan  to  renovate  the  holy sites has angered Palestinians, who
   claim  the  West Bank as part of a future state and reject any Israeli
   presence there.
   The  al-Aqsa  mosque compound is the third holiest place in Islam, and
   is  claimed  by  both  Arabs  and  Jews.   Judaism's holiest site, the
   Western Wall, borders the mosque compound.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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