Among the pilgrims was far-right Knesset member Itamar Ben Gvir, who regularly makes high-profile trips to the holy site during times of heightened tension, in what is widely seen as a deliberately provocative gesture. Many Jews traditionally visit the Western Wall and the Old City of Jerusalem on Tisha B’Av, a day of fasting that began on Saturday evening and lasts until Sunday evening, in order to mourn the destruction of the two temples in 586 BC. and 70 AD, respectively. On Tisha B’Av, the Book of Lamentations is traditionally read, along with a series of mournful poems and songs known as Kinot. As fighting broke out on Friday ahead of a Jerusalem-centered day of mourning, Israeli analysts expressed concerns that large numbers of Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount could further worsen the situation at Jerusalem’s holy site. Despite these fears, the pilgrimages to the Temple Mount on Sunday morning passed with relatively few incidents. Get The Times of Israel Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms According to police, a handful of Jewish visitors were arrested and removed from the holy site for violating the terms of the visit — namely prostrating on the ground and praying loudly, which is prohibited for Jewish visitors to the site. Jews visit the Temple Mount on the day of mourning Tisha B’Av on August 7, 2022. (Israel Police) In addition, several Muslim visitors were arrested and removed for “disturbing the peace, being provocative, making inflammatory comments and unsuccessfully attempting to disrupt the lawful movement of visitors,” police said. Footage of the scene released by Ben Gvir’s spokesman showed some Palestinians at the flashpoint robbing the lawmaker, shouting “Allahu akbar” and “slaughter the Jew” in Arabic. Ben Gvir is seen in the video replying “Am Yisrael Chai” or “long live the Jewish people”. Police said officers broke up a number of other clashes between Jews and Muslims in Jerusalem’s Old City throughout Sunday morning. Far-right MK Itamar Ben Gvir arrives to visit the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City on August 7, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90) In one case, two East Jerusalem men reportedly pepper-sprayed a group of Jews visiting the Old City. The two suspects were arrested and taken to court to be remanded in custody, police said. Tens of thousands of Jews visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday morning for Tisha B’Av. Similar numbers visited the site on Saturday night as well. Although large crowds flocked to the site in the early hours of Sunday, by midday the square was largely empty, due to a combination of intense August heat on the day of the fast and security concerns in light of the fighting in Gaza. . Thousands of Jews visit the Western Wall on the day of mourning Tisha B’Av on August 7, 2022. (Israel Police) Ben Gvir, who also prayed Saturday night at the Western Wall, said his visit had been coordinated a week earlier with the Israel Police and Knesset Guards, insisting that the spike in tensions after the start of Operation Breaking Dawn he wouldn’t change his plans. In a statement, the lawmaker said he had received a number of death threats before the visit. He said he hoped the police would take action on the matter, but did not say whether he had filed a complaint. Ben Gvir, an extremist Knesset member from the Religious Zionist party, made his most recent controversial visit to the Temple Mount late in late May on Jerusalem Day. Ben Gvir’s visit on Sunday was reportedly discussed at a meeting held Saturday night by Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, as well as at the top-level security cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yair Lapid. I have come now to the Wall, the remnant of our temple, to mourn the destruction of the house and to pray for the safety of the people of the south under attack and the success of our heroic IDF soldiers. pic.twitter.com/QFOmgSzfqX — Itamar Ben Gabvir (@itamarbengvir) August 6, 2022 MK Gaby Lasky of the coalition’s left-wing Meretz party commented on Twitter that Ben Gvir’s visit should be blocked “to prevent an escalation and provocation that could lead to a dangerous explosion [of tensions].” The Temple Mount is the holiest place for Jews, as the site of the biblical temples, and the complex’s Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest shrine in Islam, turning the area into a major flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The site is managed by the Waqf, a religious trust run and funded by Jordan. Under an increasingly frayed arrangement known as the status quo, Jews are generally allowed to visit the Temple Mount during limited hours and on a short, predetermined route, but not to pray there, perform other acts of worship or to carry objects related to this cult. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned UN Middle East envoy Tor Wensland on Saturday that Israeli “provocations” must be prevented on the Temple Mount on Sunday. Also stressed to UN envoy @TWennesland the urgent need to prevent any Israeli provocations at #AlAqsa tomorrow to avoid further escalation. The historical and legal status quo must be respected. Ending the escalation and restoring calm must be a global priority. It is in the best interest of all 2/2s — Ayman Safadi (@AymanHsafadi) August 6, 2022 Police were deployed in force in Jerusalem, and particularly in the Old City and Temple Mount area, to secure Tisha B’Av fast day services amid the escalation in Gaza. Public Security Minister Omer Barlev met with top police officers on Saturday to discuss preparations, saying “the main mission of the police is to maintain calm in the country and ensure that all emergency directives in the south are followed.” “Police will also be deployed at locations throughout Jerusalem for Tisha B’Av to ensure public safety,” he said. Jews visit the Temple Mount on the day of mourning Tisha B’Av on August 7, 2022. (Israel Police) Earlier this week, before the outbreak of violence in Gaza, a Channel 12 report said policy and security decision-makers were concerned about violence on the Temple Mount during the day of fasting. Previous Tisha B’Avs have seen over 1,000 Jewish pilgrims visit the flashpoint that has been at the center of repeated cycles of violence between Israelis and Palestinians in recent months and years. Israel does not consider such visits a violation of the status quo, but the Palestinians view such a large number of Jewish visitors as a violation of the status quo. The rise in Jewish visitors has not only occurred on Tisha B’Av, but throughout the year as public opinion has shifted – particularly in the national religious camp – in support of the practice. Visiting Jews also increasingly feature prayers – sometimes in quorums, but more often by individuals. Such behavior was prohibited by Israeli police escorting Jewish visitors through the site, but footage in recent years has shown officers allowing the often quiet prayers to continue, which Palestinians claim demonstrates a further deterioration of the status quo.
