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           Al-Aqsa Mosque Partially Reopened after Jerusalem Clashes

   by VOA News

   Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque was partially reopened Friday, as Israel
   security forces let in Muslim women and older men for prayers after
   shuttering the area completely a day earlier.

   Israeli police deployed heavily around the holy site known to Jews as
   the Temple Mount and Muslims as Haram al-Sharif.

   Authorities restricted access to the disputed compound, which contains
   Al-Aqsa mosque, following clashes over the killing of a Palestinian by
   Israeli security forces.

   Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the closure an act of war.

   Muslim men under the age of 50 were still barred from the area on
   Friday.

   ''The holy site was closed after police shot and killed Palestinian
   Muataz Hijazi, who was suspected of shooting and critically wounding a
   hardline rabbi Yehuda Glick Wednesday night.

   The rabbi is known as an advocate for increased Jewish prayer rights at
   the site.

   Tensions between Jews and Palestinians in Jerusalem have been high
   since the two-month-long war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas that
   killed more than 2,100 people, mostly civilians.

   Also Thursday, Israel recalled its ambassador to Stockholm "for
   consultations" after Sweden officially recognized the Palestinian
   state.

   Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said she hoped her country's
   recognition would help revive the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace
   process and that other EU nations would follow suit.

   The decision drew praise from the Palestinian president and criticism
   from Israel.

   U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States
   supports Palestinian statehood through direct negotiations between
   Israel and the Palestinians.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/al-aqsa-mosque-partially-reopened-aft
   er-jerusalem-clashes/2503105.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/al-aqsa-mosque-partially-reopened-after-jerusalem-clashes/2503105.html