JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday urged lawmakers to show restraint over Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque, which has been at the heart of rising tension with the Palestinians in recent weeks.
Daily clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians in the streets of East Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, have been stoking fears of a new Palestinian Intifada, or uprising.
In a sign of concern that the situation could escalate, Netanyahu called in a statement “on all Knesset members to calm tensions regarding the Temple Mount and show responsibility and restraint.”
The Palestinians say Israel is looking to change the delicate status quo at al-Aqsa, the third-holiest site in Islam and the most holy in Judaism.
Under the rules governing access to al-Aqsa, which is administered by Jordanian religious authorities, Jews are allowed into the compound but are not permitted to pray.
Netanyahu has said Israel has no intention of altering the status quo, but far-right activists and lawmakers have been pushing for Jewish worship at the site.
Israeli police often restricts access to al Aqsa when concerned about possible violence there, only letting in women and Muslim men over the age of 40 or 50.