Two Palestinian Guards on Temple Mount Detained for Assaulting Jewish Visitors

Israeli police detained two Palestinian guards at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount (Haram Al-Sharif) on Wednesday morning after the pair allegedly assaulted a Jewish visitor to the area. The incident occurred during the time assigned for tours by foreign, non-Muslim visitors. The Ma’an news agency reported that a scuffle broke out when the group of four tourists began to pick olives from a tree at the entrance to the mosque compound and Palestinian workers tried to stop them. The Palestinians also dispute the claim by Israeli police that those involved were tourists. Tension on the Mount has been high for many months as Palestinians oppose the presence of non-Muslims touring the area and accuse Israel of seeking to “Juda-ize” the Muslim holy sites.