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Israel Restricts Entry to Disputed Jerusalem Holy Place

   Robert Berger | Jerusalem 12 March 2010
   A  Palestinian worshipper, who was prevented from reaching the al-Aqsa
   Mosque,  prays outside Jerusalem's Old City while Israeli forces stand
   guard in the background, 12 Mar 2010

Photo: AP

   A  Palestinian worshipper, who was prevented from reaching the al-Aqsa
   Mosque,  prays outside Jerusalem's Old City while Israeli forces stand
   guard in the background, 12 Mar 2010

   Israel  has  imposed a security clampdown on Palestinians in Jerusalem
   and the West Bank amid fears of unrest.
   Israel  sealed  off  the  West  Bank  for  48 hours, saying police had
   intelligence   information   that   Palestinian   youths  would  cause
   disturbances  after  prayers  for  the  Muslim Sabbath on Friday. This
   Palestinian  was  turned  away  by  Israeli  troops at the entrance to
   Jerusalem from Bethlehem.
   "It's  surrounded  by  soldiers.  And  now we can't reach Jerusalem to
   pray, and you know, to do the activities of the religion," said Mos.
   There  has  been  sporadic  violence  for the past several weeks since
   Israel  declared  two  West  Bank shrines national heritage sites: The
   Tomb  of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem. Some
   3,000  Israeli  police  and  soldiers patrolled the area in and around
   Jerusalem's Old City.
   Restrictions  were  imposed on entry to the Mosque of al-Aqsa and Dome
   of  the  Rock  compound, the third holiest place in Islam. Palestinian
   men  under the age of 50 were barred from entering the compound, which
   is  a  flashpoint of Jewish-Muslim tensions. For Jews it is the Temple
   Mount, the holiest place in Judaism and site of the biblical Temples.
   There  were  sporadic  stone-throwing clashes in Arab neighborhoods of
   East Jerusalem. But the security clampdown had its desired effect, and
   prayers at the volatile Mosque of al-Aqsa passed quietly.

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