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| Amid Tensions, Israeli Lawmakers Push for More Jewish Access to Sacred Site | |
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| JERUSALEM — A hard-line Israeli lawmaker from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party toured this city’s most contested holy site with a police escort on Sunday, and a far-rightist minister reiterated a contentious call for Jews to be allowed to pray there, despite Mr. Netanyahu’s plea for politicians to show responsibility and restraint after days of heightened tensions over the sacred compound. | JERUSALEM — A hard-line Israeli lawmaker from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party toured this city’s most contested holy site with a police escort on Sunday, and a far-rightist minister reiterated a contentious call for Jews to be allowed to pray there, despite Mr. Netanyahu’s plea for politicians to show responsibility and restraint after days of heightened tensions over the sacred compound. |
| The visit by the lawmaker, Moshe Feiglin, passed without violence, eliciting only chants of “God is Great!” and taunts from Muslim protesters as Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders appeared intent on lowering the heated language and trying to calm the atmosphere. | The visit by the lawmaker, Moshe Feiglin, passed without violence, eliciting only chants of “God is Great!” and taunts from Muslim protesters as Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders appeared intent on lowering the heated language and trying to calm the atmosphere. |
| The site — revered by Jews as the Temple Mount where the ancient Jewish temples once stood, and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, the location of Al Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock and the third-holiest site in Islam — was reopened to non-Muslim visitors on Sunday. | The site — revered by Jews as the Temple Mount where the ancient Jewish temples once stood, and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, the location of Al Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock and the third-holiest site in Islam — was reopened to non-Muslim visitors on Sunday. |
| The compound was reopened Friday for Muslim worshipers, with certain age limitations, one day after Israel closed the revered plateau entirely for the first time in years, a move denounced by the Palestinians and the authorities in Jordan, which is the official custodian of the Aksa compound in the Old City in East Jerusalem. | The compound was reopened Friday for Muslim worshipers, with certain age limitations, one day after Israel closed the revered plateau entirely for the first time in years, a move denounced by the Palestinians and the authorities in Jordan, which is the official custodian of the Aksa compound in the Old City in East Jerusalem. |
| The closing came after counterterrorism forces killed a former Palestinian security prisoner suspected of shooting Yehuda Glick, an American-born Israeli leading the struggle for increased Jewish access and prayer rights at the site. The assassination attempt on Wednesday left Mr. Glick severely wounded. | The closing came after counterterrorism forces killed a former Palestinian security prisoner suspected of shooting Yehuda Glick, an American-born Israeli leading the struggle for increased Jewish access and prayer rights at the site. The assassination attempt on Wednesday left Mr. Glick severely wounded. |
| “Even saying that Jewish return to the Temple Mount provokes violence encourages Arab violence,” Mr. Feiglin said, countering criticism that the activities of those seeking changes in the decades-old arrangements at the site are provocative and exacerbate tensions. | “Even saying that Jewish return to the Temple Mount provokes violence encourages Arab violence,” Mr. Feiglin said, countering criticism that the activities of those seeking changes in the decades-old arrangements at the site are provocative and exacerbate tensions. |
| King Abdullah II of Jordan, whose alliance with Israel has been strained by recent events, devoted a small part of a speech marking the opening of a new session of Parliament to the situation in Jerusalem. | King Abdullah II of Jordan, whose alliance with Israel has been strained by recent events, devoted a small part of a speech marking the opening of a new session of Parliament to the situation in Jerusalem. |
| “Jerusalem, whose soil is watered by the blood and sacrifices of our martyrs, is a responsibility that lies in the depth of our conscience,” he said. “Jordan will continue to confront, through all available means, Israeli unilateral policies and measures in Jerusalem and preserve its Muslim and Christian holy sites, until peace is restored to the land of peace.” | “Jerusalem, whose soil is watered by the blood and sacrifices of our martyrs, is a responsibility that lies in the depth of our conscience,” he said. “Jordan will continue to confront, through all available means, Israeli unilateral policies and measures in Jerusalem and preserve its Muslim and Christian holy sites, until peace is restored to the land of peace.” |
| The official Palestinian news agency Wafa carried a statement saying that President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority welcomed Mr. Netanyahu’s call for restraint as “a step in the right direction.” | The official Palestinian news agency Wafa carried a statement saying that President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority welcomed Mr. Netanyahu’s call for restraint as “a step in the right direction.” |
| Under the existing arrangement, the Waqf Islamic authorities administer the daily operation of the site. Israel is in charge of security and prohibits non-Muslims from openly praying there to avoid provocations. Mr. Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasized that he will not allow any change in the status quo. | Under the existing arrangement, the Waqf Islamic authorities administer the daily operation of the site. Israel is in charge of security and prohibits non-Muslims from openly praying there to avoid provocations. Mr. Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasized that he will not allow any change in the status quo. |
| “It is easy to start a religious fire, but much more difficult to extinguish it,” Mr. Netanyahu said Sunday. He accused Islamic extremists of trying to incite trouble by “disseminating lies” about Israeli intentions and trying, by means of verbal and physical violence, to exclude Jews from going up to the mount. | “It is easy to start a religious fire, but much more difficult to extinguish it,” Mr. Netanyahu said Sunday. He accused Islamic extremists of trying to incite trouble by “disseminating lies” about Israeli intentions and trying, by means of verbal and physical violence, to exclude Jews from going up to the mount. |
| After days of accusing Mr. Abbas of incitement to violence when he called for Palestinians to defend the holy sites “by all means,” Mr. Netanyahu said that he had passed clear messages to Mr. Abbas and that he had also held contacts with Secretary of State John Kerry about the situation. | After days of accusing Mr. Abbas of incitement to violence when he called for Palestinians to defend the holy sites “by all means,” Mr. Netanyahu said that he had passed clear messages to Mr. Abbas and that he had also held contacts with Secretary of State John Kerry about the situation. |
| Of Mr. Feiglin’s visit and the contentious remarks by the minister, Uri Ariel of the Jewish Home Party, Mark Regev, a spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu, said, “Israel is a democracy.” | Of Mr. Feiglin’s visit and the contentious remarks by the minister, Uri Ariel of the Jewish Home Party, Mark Regev, a spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu, said, “Israel is a democracy.” |
| Briefing reporters here on Sunday, a senior Israeli police commander said that the police were committed to enforcing the status quo on both sides but that those truly agitating to change it were Palestinian operatives from Hamas or supporters of the radical northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel who created disturbances to try to prevent Jewish visitors from ascending the revered plateau. | Briefing reporters here on Sunday, a senior Israeli police commander said that the police were committed to enforcing the status quo on both sides but that those truly agitating to change it were Palestinian operatives from Hamas or supporters of the radical northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel who created disturbances to try to prevent Jewish visitors from ascending the revered plateau. |
| The commander showed video footage filmed during one of the recent Jewish holidays showing masked Palestinian youths hurling stones and shooting firecrackers at police officers from inside the Aksa Mosque. | The commander showed video footage filmed during one of the recent Jewish holidays showing masked Palestinian youths hurling stones and shooting firecrackers at police officers from inside the Aksa Mosque. |
| The commander said that he had personally escorted Mr. Feiglin into the compound on Sunday and that the lawmaker had observed the rules. | The commander said that he had personally escorted Mr. Feiglin into the compound on Sunday and that the lawmaker had observed the rules. |
| Mr. Glick, the target of the assassination attempt, has been barred from the site by the police many times for violating regulations. A profile of Mr. Glick published in the weekend edition of the newspaper Yediot Aharonot described how he often got around the ban on worshiping at the site. A licensed tour guide who took groups up on an almost daily basis, Mr. Glick would apparently intersperse his explanations with phrases from well-known Jewish prayers or utter the forbidden words in fake phone calls. | Mr. Glick, the target of the assassination attempt, has been barred from the site by the police many times for violating regulations. A profile of Mr. Glick published in the weekend edition of the newspaper Yediot Aharonot described how he often got around the ban on worshiping at the site. A licensed tour guide who took groups up on an almost daily basis, Mr. Glick would apparently intersperse his explanations with phrases from well-known Jewish prayers or utter the forbidden words in fake phone calls. |
| In an effort to quell the sporadic clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the Israeli government on Sunday approved an amendment to the law allowing stricter prison terms of up to 20 years for those convicted of throwing stones at moving vehicles. | In an effort to quell the sporadic clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the Israeli government on Sunday approved an amendment to the law allowing stricter prison terms of up to 20 years for those convicted of throwing stones at moving vehicles. |
| Abdallah Siam, the Palestinian Authority’s deputy governor of the Jerusalem district, told Palestinian radio that the Israeli measure was part of “an escalation by the Israeli occupation in Jerusalem meant to impose a new reality in the city in general and at Al Aksa in particular.” | Abdallah Siam, the Palestinian Authority’s deputy governor of the Jerusalem district, told Palestinian radio that the Israeli measure was part of “an escalation by the Israeli occupation in Jerusalem meant to impose a new reality in the city in general and at Al Aksa in particular.” |
| Also Sunday, Israel said it had closed the crossing points into Gaza “until further notice” after a rocket was fired from Gaza into Israel on Friday, landing harmlessly in open ground. Each side accused the other of having violated a cease-fire that ended this summer’s 50-day battle between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza. | Also Sunday, Israel said it had closed the crossing points into Gaza “until further notice” after a rocket was fired from Gaza into Israel on Friday, landing harmlessly in open ground. Each side accused the other of having violated a cease-fire that ended this summer’s 50-day battle between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza. |
| Mushir al-Masri, an official of Hamas, the Islamic group that dominates Gaza, warned, “The Palestinian resistance will not remain confined to this agreement as long as the enemy does not open all the crossings.” | Mushir al-Masri, an official of Hamas, the Islamic group that dominates Gaza, warned, “The Palestinian resistance will not remain confined to this agreement as long as the enemy does not open all the crossings.” |