Israeli police secure the Temple Mount after Arab rioting. (Sliman Khader/Flash 90) (Sliman Khader/Flash 90)
Temple Mount riot

PA leader Abbas continues to incite to violence on the Temple Mount, and the Arabs continuously heed his call, while defiling their own holy site. 

Arabs on the Temple Mount attacked Jewish worshipers and Israeli security forces Wednesday morning, apparently heeding the incitement voiced by Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas earlier this week.

Abbas warned Jews on Monday against ascending to the Temple Mount. Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh released a statement in which the PA warned against what they called the escalation in the “break-ins by the settlers and Jewish extremists” to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, claiming that these actions are a violation of Muslim sensitivities.

Acting on Call to Violence

Arabs acted on this call to violence and rioted on the Temple Mount, using their mosques as fortified positions to launch firecrackers and throw rocks and metal polls at Israeli security forces.

In response, police forces stormed the complex and drove the assailants into their mosques as they continued to throw blocks and other objects.

Police then began to remove the fortifications put up by the rioters. The barricades were made of benches and furniture used in the mosques.

Several police officers were wounded in the skirmish. When they began evacuating one of the wounded rioters, several others tried taking advantage of the situation and stormed the Temple Mount again, but they were repelled by the authorities.

The police had prior intelligence about the pending attacks and managed to arrest two ringleaders early Wednesday morning as they tried smuggling supplies into the Temple Mount. The police stress that the fortifications and the collection of weapons clearly indicates that this was a well-planned attack and not a spontaneous outburst.

The Temple Mount was shut down for some time and Jews were barred from entering until police gained control of the situation.

A police spokesman vowed, not for the first time, that there would be “zero tolerance” for any attempt to disturb the peace and that they will work with full force to stop the rioters and bring them to justice.

The Latest in a Series of Attacks

This attack by Arab rioters is the latest in a series of violent attacks by Palestinian Arabs against Israelis in the vicinity of the Temple Mount. Arabs assaulted an Israeli Member of Knesset earlier this week as she toured the Temple Mount. An Islamic Jihad terrorist shot Rabbi Yehuda Glick, a well-known advocate for equal rights on the Temple Mount.

How You Can Help Jerusalem

Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem, its capital, has come under heavy attack in the past weeks. We need to stand together and show the world that Jerusalem is not some bargaining chip in border negotiations or a rally point for terrorists. It is a Holy City meant to provide a beacon of light to all nations, under the care of Israel. Help us ensure that Jerusalem stays unified. Click HERE to sign The Jerusalem Declaration.

Author: United with Israel Staff