• Published 13:46 05.03.10
  • Latest update 13:04 14.03.10

UN urges restraint after dozens hurt in Jerusalem clashes

Confusion at Security Council as U.S. denies backing joint statement on Temple Mount violence.

By Liel Kyzer News Agencies Tags: East Jerusalem Israel news Temple Mount

The UN Security Council voiced concern over the fighting on Friday between Israeli forces and Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank and urged both sides to resume peace talks.

Clashes broke out between Israeli police officers and Muslim rock throwers at the end of Friday prayers on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem following a sermon on a recent Israeli decision to include two West Bank shrines on a list of national heritage sites.

Rocks were thrown from the direction of the mosques above toward Jews praying below at the Western Wall plaza. Israeli police entered the Temple Mount compound to quell the rock throwing. The stone throwers eventually retreated to inside the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Fifteen police officers were lightly hurt in the incident; three were transported to Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus, two to Shaare Zedek and the rest were treated at the scene.

Palestinians reported that dozens were injured by Israeli security forces.

President of the Security Council for March, Gabon's UN Ambassador Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet, told reporters "The members of the Security Council expressed their concern at the current tense situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, including east Jerusalem."

"They urged all sides to show restraint and avoid provocative acts," he said after a closed-door meeting. "They stressed that peaceful dialogue was the only way forward and looked forward to an early resumption of negotiations."

The permanent Palestinian observer to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, welcomed the council statement, adding that the U.S. decision not to block it "is a signal that the United States wants this effort to succeed" and Israel to restrain itself.

A U.S. official, however, told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the American delegation had not agreed with the statement and said it was adopted due to what the official described as "procedural confusion".

Council statements are agreed by consensus and are nonbinding. The U.S. delegation has often blocked proposed Security Council statements condemning Israel.

The clashes continued on Friday after the incident on the Temple Mount, with young Arabs throwing rocks at police at several locations in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Police arrested three stone throwers.

Israeli Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch blamed Palestinians for the outbreak of clashes.

"I accuse the Palestinians, including Hamas operatives, of inciting the situation," he said after arrving at the Temple Mount.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, condemned police for entering the compound and said that "Israel continues to place obstacles in front of (US Middle East envoy George) Mitchell's efforts" to revive long-stalled peace negotiations.

The Palestinian Authority president's office released a statement saying that "Israel has crossed a red line along the path to renew the peace talks, which have been supported by the Arab league," Abbas' Bureau said in a statement

Always tense, the Temple Mount has recently seen sporadic clashes linked at least in part to the Israeli government decision to include the West Bank shrines on the heritage site list. The move's practical ramifications are unclear, but Palestinians see it as a provocation.

Najeh Btirat, a Waqf official, said the clash followed a mosque sermon on the issue.

The Friday sermon focused on the Islamic sites that are being targeted by Israel and the need to preserve them, he said. About 300 young men threw stones at police after prayers, he said.

In Hebron, a group of about 100 Palestinians protested outside the Cave of the Patriarchs.

The Temple Mount is under Israeli security control, but day-to-day administration has been left in the hands of the Waqf. Jews are not allowed to pray at the site.

Palestinian worshippers at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Friday.

Photo by: (Reuters)
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    This story is by: Liel Kyzer News Agencies
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  • 41. 0 0
    Mark Lincoln Bibi is responsible?
    • Petra
    • 10.03.10
    • 22:42

    try again looney. We all know the thugs on the Temple Mount should be removed, arrested and jailed. They aren't practicing 'religion' they're practicing killing unarmed Jews at prayer. I say let the Jews come w/ guns and wipe them out so they may pray at peace. Sounds good, donchathink?

  • 40. 0 0
    BEN JABO CORRECT.
    • Petra
    • 10.03.10
    • 22:37

    THE MOSQUE SHOULD BE CLOSED. THE ROCK THROWERS ARRESTED AND JAILED.

  • 39. 0 0
    UN in part caused this
    • Petra
    • 10.03.10
    • 22:35

    they can police the thugs who throw rocks at those who pray instead of rewarding the pals for non stop violence.

  • 38. 0 0
    Clashes? Arab Attacks
    • Jimmy37
    • 08.03.10
    • 17:14

    "Clashes broke out between Israeli police officers and Muslim rock throwers..." Is that what you call Arab attacks? Clashes? Who's at fault here? The police for defending the worshipers?

  • 37. 0 0
    ב"ה b"H inyan: picture worth a million words
    • Esther Sarah Evans
    • 06.03.10
    • 20:25

    b"H As the picture clearly shows, these thugs are not very respectful toward their own beliefs - their mosque or anything else. They are interested only in destruction of Jews. Secondly, if we Jews were to behave like that in another country, we would be accused of everything under the sun. They are clearly abusing their privileges here, and the acquiescence of our police force to their request for no Jewish prayers in our own country is an outrageous Chutzpah! Like telling the cat not to look at the tuna so to speak. This is a holy site, and any person - regardless of race or creed has the right to pray to G-d (however he calls Him) any place in the universe except some place disrespectful like a washroom or something like that. A request from their side not to pray at our holy site in our own country is absolutely outrageous, and anybody who condones that is endangering his or her soul!!! The truth is though, they really love us, as they love all cats, us included. Shavua tov.

  • 36. 0 0
    #27 Brad - Edmonton
    • *BEN JABO
    • 06.03.10
    • 17:52

    ANY holy place, Synagogue, Mosque or Church loses it's immune status when it's used for military (non-Peaceful) purposes It's easy to understand, if one tries, you can't hide behind a white flag while shooting your gun or throwing rocks or grenades from a Holy Site A few years ago, Fatah holed up in a Church in Bethlehem, using it as a military outpost "The Beleaguered Christians of the Palestinian-Controlled Areas, by ... The Palestinian gunmen holed up in the Church of the Nativity seized church " Last time I saw the Hassan Bek Mosque in Jaffa, it had a multi-lingual sign "HOLY PLACE - ENTRY FORBIDDEN" Don't get upset by Maureen, she's a nitwit that's trying to gain attention

  • 35. 0 0
    For The Sake of World Peace
    • The Teacher/Instruct
    • 06.03.10
    • 17:13

    For The sake of World Peace. Just as the U.N. And all those who were involved. Cut the temple of Abu Simbel & raised it to higher ground fearing that the rising water of the Nile would flood & drown the beautiful temple due to the Aswan Dam. So also it would be possible to cut pack & send the two Mosques on Temple Mount. Say,to Indonesia,the largest Moslem population in the world. In this way the largest Moslem population can enjoy the beauty of the Mosques. And at the same time defuse a time-bomb ready to explode.

  • 34. 0 0
    For Carl Mathis
    • John the American
    • 06.03.10
    • 17:10

    " All of Judea and Samaria was given to Abraham, not just a part of it." Well Carl Abraham is also the father of all Arabs. There weren't Jews or Muslims then. Many Arabs today were converted during the many wars to their current religion. There is no biblical condition on religion. Most Jews (Ashkennazi) were converted from paganism in the 6th century (Khazars)and have no biblical right to the land. Israel has a right to the land given by the UN in 1948. Every inch occupied thereafter is someone elses land.

  • 33. 0 0
    "rock throwers"???
    • mimi
    • 06.03.10
    • 16:03

    is that what we're called now? you've got to be kidding..

  • 32. 0 0
    But Jews were injured
    • steve from raleigh
    • 06.03.10
    • 15:19

    So as far as the UN is concerned no humans were involved.

  • 31. 0 0
    More delays in order to get the land and a wall buiilt-
    • "Q"
    • 06.03.10
    • 15:17

    -around it. Bibi is determined to have everything he wants completed before he sits down to talk "peace". Who knows, at the rate he is going he may just get it.

  • 30. 0 0
    Paul Freedman you mean Obama the one term Prez?
    • Petra
    • 06.03.10
    • 14:32

    Thought so, most Americans agree.

  • 29. 0 0
    #24
    • Rab Burns
    • 06.03.10
    • 14:02

    Israel is actually a tiny country with a tiny population.I have asked before what is your fixation with it.There are many countrys around the world where serious loss of innocent life happens every day.Why do you focus on Israel there have been more deaths in Rawanda Sudna Cambodia Ethiopea Irna Iraq Uganda etc in one day thatn in Israel since 1900.Indonesia Sudan rawanda Congo Iraq Syria Argentina Columbo China Russia have all seen mass deaths much more than In Israel and might i say few if any in self defence.I will say it again Israel is a peace loving nation if they are not atcked no one would be killed face facts.And ho wabout voicing about the real tragedys in this world for a change Israel is not one of them.

  • 28. 0 0
    Holy Jerusalem
    • Roy
    • 06.03.10
    • 05:44

    Perhaps Christians should declare it holy place again and kick everyone else out. Another crusade!!! We're wasting our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

  • 27. 0 0
    I Suppose This Means That Mosques In Israel Are
    • Brad
    • 06.03.10
    • 04:31

    a provocation! After all they are under the control of Islamic religious organizations. I'm not advocating throwing stones at the provocative Muslims who dare to have an Islamic place in Israel. As to silly Maureen, perhaps your immaturity is excusable. Are you in junior high yet.

  • 26. 0 0
    The Red Line Israel Crossed
    • Brad
    • 06.03.10
    • 04:17

    Defence of its civilians! Ho hum, nothing new here!

  • 25. 0 0
    eli 22
    • potobac
    • 06.03.10
    • 03:28

    All that might be true if anyone believed Israel's move were anything but a territorial grab. However, since this is nothing but another attempt to set down more facts on the ground, the Palestinians have a right to protest another land grab.

  • 24. 0 0
    #21Ben Jabo David did.
    • Maureen Ann
    • 06.03.10
    • 03:21

    Throw rocks. And he won. : ) Israel is the Goliath... the bigger they are the harder they fall. : )

  • 23. 0 0
    ben jabo 21
    • potobac
    • 06.03.10
    • 02:12

    I was amused by your line that Jews and Christians come to the Western Wall to pray. First, I doubt any Christians go there to pray. Second, you have never shown any concern at all for Christians (rather to the contrary) so it is touching you are worried about their having rocks thrown at them.

  • 22. 0 0
    West Bank Sites _ As Heritage Sites
    • Eli
    • 06.03.10
    • 01:59

    Always tense, the Temple Mount has recently seen sporadic clashes linked at least in part to the Israeli government decision to include the West Bank shrines on the heritage site list. The move's practical ramifications are unclear, but Palestinians see it as a provocation. Of course they are Jewish heritage sites. The Moslem should acknowledge that. Just as we acknowledge their sacred Mosque,and we let them run it and even allow them to throw rocks at us from above. If excuses for violence are needed the Moslems can come up with anything.

  • 21. 0 0
    Nothing new here
    • *BEN JABO
    • 06.03.10
    • 01:41

    Mosques have repeatedly been used as snipers vantage points, Churches invaded by Fath to shield their thugs from retribution by the IDF Jews and Christians come to Jerusalem's Western Wall to pray, not to undergo a rock barrage First of all the buggers must learn that Mosques are for praying not for military purposes such as rock throwing Once they're used for non-peaceful purposes, then they're subject to control by the authoites

  • 20. 0 0
    Screens!
    • P. Shams
    • 06.03.10
    • 00:39

    oh surely walls work better, don't you think?

  • 19. 0 0
    Why allow it
    • Rachel
    • 06.03.10
    • 00:14

    The Israeli gov should make clear that anyone who throws stones or disrespect any holy place will be automatically arrested for indefinit time and his family will be expedite to any arab country with papers NO RETURN signed by them. Enough is Enought. Let's put an end to this crime!

  • 18. 0 0
    Simple Solution
    • Teddy Roberts
    • 05.03.10
    • 19:24

    Why doesn?t the government simply install screens (such in golf courses) around those stone-throwing areas?

  • 17. 0 0
  • 16. 0 0
  • 15. 0 0
    When will Abbas be honest?
    • Headly Harris
    • 05.03.10
    • 19:17

    The unelected dictator should be invited to pray under the rain of rocks his beloved constituency offers. Let's hear his solution then. Until Abbas agrees to pray at the wall and be subject to stoning there should be no peace talks!

  • 14. 0 0
    Typical Palestinian peace makers embraced by Obama
    • Paul Freedman
    • 05.03.10
    • 19:16

    The Palestinian Authority talks peace with one hand and organizes pogroms and orgies of Jew-hatred with the other. The perfect partners for President "Reset" Apologizer in Chief.

  • 13. 0 0
    Obsurd
    • X-MILITARY
    • 05.03.10
    • 19:10

    I can't understand why Israel with all the power it possesses allows a bunch of low lives to constantly instigate violence and then blame the Jews. Why are you Jews scared to act you only react. Inform in no uncertain terms to all concerned, that the Temple Mount is holly and people of all faiths are allowed to come there to pray only. Anybody instigating any form of disturbance will no longer be allowed to enter, anybody instigating violence will be placed in jail for an indefinite period of time and his family will be expelled and not allowed to return to Jerusalem. This goes for any instigators Moslems or Jews. Holy places should be treared as such

  • 12. 0 0
    Temple Mount clash
    • Carl D. Mathis
    • 05.03.10
    • 18:17

    The PA wants respect in the eyes of Israel and the world, but there are those that continue to instigate acts that make it look like the ugly stepchild. Grow Up! Why would Israel concede to the demands of the PA, when they still employ the tactics of the "Arafat mentality"? And about the Heritage sites, why stop at Hebron and Rachel's tomb? When the bodies of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs were buried, it was in the land that was given unto our Father Abraham. All of Judea and Samaria was given to Abraham, not just a part of it.

  • 11. 0 0
    More incitment....its Friday!
    • Nati Hans
    • 05.03.10
    • 18:15

    They toss stones on worshipers and act like victims when Israel delivers a response. Clearly there is little respect for holy places even amongst such ilk! They don't even respect their own holy sites. Tossing stones down bellow on Jewish and Christian worshipers is a minor offense so it seems.. if at all any offense according to the doctrine they follow.

  • 10. 0 0
    Pray & then throw rocks -is the teaching
    • ross
    • 05.03.10
    • 18:07

    nice religion and message they share with the world -

  • 9. 0 0
    abbas is an odd
    • dave
    • 05.03.10
    • 18:05

    how is it that the jews crossed a line but yet it was the PAls who started it by throwing rocks AFTER PRAYERS what kind of 'Praying" are they doing in there? is this what islam teaches: "pray and then go throw rocks"? Very Immature mayge it is time for for a new president on their side?

  • 8. 0 0
    National Heritige
    • Elli
    • 05.03.10
    • 18:02

    Does anyone out there know what this means making a site national heritige? the goverment wants to put money into restoring the sites mantaining them so they can last. Some of these sites are over 2000 years old,and yes belive it or not, despite all the whining, the Jewish people have a great amount of history vested in these areas. When one thinks about it its sadly ironic that when a Jewish man or woman wishes to go to the Temple Mount at the gate is told not to pray, not to mention cover up any signs of Judiasim such as Star of David on a necklace for example. Kinda of defeats the purpose of the idea of a Jewish State.

  • 7. 0 0
    What exactly do they teach at the sermons
    • fedup
    • 05.03.10
    • 16:32

    Right after a sermon, the worshipers are riled up to the point of violence? Seems like it is the same story every Friday

  • 6. 0 0
    IDF should act with no remorse with those hooligans
    • Jose Pedro
    • 05.03.10
    • 16:16

    Israel is the nice country in the world who supports foreing ragtags to disrupt the calm on jewish land.

  • 5. 0 0
    Bibi will share Sharon's fate if he continues to offend g-d
    • Xtian
    • 05.03.10
    • 16:15

    Let all people worship in peace. Back off with the provocative heritage sites. Bibi offends g-d.

  • 4. 0 0
    The Netanyahu Plan for a Third Infitada is working!
    • Mark Lincoln
    • 05.03.10
    • 16:04

    Not only is the Netanyahu Plan to provoke a Third Infitada working, it is on the verge of total success. Once it starts in ernest Israel will be able to announce that there is no 'partner for peace,' and launch operations against the west bank.

  • 3. 0 0
    #2 turning the violence on its head
    • Steve
    • 05.03.10
    • 15:40

    Worshipers hit by rocks! Who is to blame? Not the rock throwers, of course. Its the worshipers and their evil government who have brought this upon themselves. " Its all the fault of the Jews". Sounds familiar? How soon we forget.

  • 2. 0 0
    We asked for it
    • Amos
    • 05.03.10
    • 15:23

    once upon a time the genious Sharon went for a promenade on temple mount and started the intifada. His present days haire the feeble minded Netaniahu by declaring the famous sites as national heritage (jewish), is just about to suceed in the same. conclusion: BIBI GO HOME AND FAST, let us save what we still can: cosiderations, land and self respect!!!

  • 1. 0 0
    Rocks and violence again
    • The Prophet
    • 05.03.10
    • 14:56

    This has been the modu operandi of Muslim "worshippers" at the Dome since 1920. There is no moral justification for this whatsoever. No excuses. It's shmeful.