BICOM

Violence again broke out in Jerusalem’s Old City last night despite Israel’s removal of the metal detectors and cameras from the Temple Mount compound.

Muslim worshippers continued to avoid the site yesterday, with evening prayers once again held outside the Lions’ Gate entrance. As on numerous other occasions over the past ten days the protests turned violent, with worshippers throwing stones at the police before being dispersed by crowd control measures. Palestinian sources reported that 30 were injured in the violence.

The worshippers were protesting the proposed installation of “smart cameras” around the Old City. They demand that security around the Temple Mount return to the situation prior to 14 July, when three Israeli-Arabs brought handguns into the Temple Mount compound before shooting and killing two Israeli police officers, an event that subsequently prompted the installation of metal detectors at the site by Israeli police. On Tuesday morning the metal detectors were removed.

The Waqf, the Islamic foundation who manage the Temple Mount site, have made public their decision “to reject outright any changes, including technological measures,” and plan to send a committee to inspect the site before submitting a report.

In a meeting between the Waqf leadership and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday, Abbas encouraged the Waqf to “defend your land and your honour… we support you and support everything you do”.

In the absence of metal detectors and cameras and given the current heightened tensions, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan decided last night that individual checks should be conducted at the site.

The White House welcomed Israel’s decision to remove the metal detectors, publishing a statement that “applauds the efforts of Israel to maintain security while reducing tensions in the region”.