Violence in the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, which erupted on Friday, has raised fears of a landslide in deeper conflict over the site as Ramadan coincides with the Jewish holiday of Passover. Christians also celebrated Easter in Jerusalem on Sunday. read more Sunday’s clashes were less violent, but Israeli police said several passengers on two buses were slightly injured when stone-throwing Palestinians smashed the windows of their vehicles. Nine people have been arrested, police said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Palestinians said Israeli police had temporarily restricted access to the complex – which is also a remnant of ancient Jewish temples – following dawn prayers to allow a scheduled visit by Jews who walked around the area on foot. Such visitors are not allowed to pray or approach Al Aqsa – the third holiest mosque in Islam, but Palestinians see them as a challenge. The Old City is located in East Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel in the 1967 war and which the Palestinians seek to make the capital of a future state. “We saw two groups of them, we started shouting and the (Israeli) forces tried to arrest me,” said Abu Baker Shemi, a devout Muslim from Acre, a mixed Jewish-Arab city in Israel. The police said he took steps to prevent the visit from “hundreds” protesters, some of them masked people who were to accumulate stones in the band. Muslim freedom of worship has been maintained, police said. Tensions over Jerusalem sparked an 11-day war last May between Israel and Hamas Islamist fighters in the Gaza Strip that killed more than 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 in Israel. Hamas said in a statement that “continued attacks on worshipers will boomerang on (Israel).” The Palestinian Authority, which rules in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said the events in al-Aqsa had “united” the Palestinians. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Written by Dan Williams Edited by Ellen Popper Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
