Skip to main content
International

Jerusalem holy site viewed as emotional epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian conflict


Violent clashes unfolded at one of Jerusalem’s holiest sites over the weekend. The shrine, known to Muslims as the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is considered the emotional epicenter of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel said its security forces entered the site on Sunday in response to Palestinian rock-throwing and that it is committed to ensuring that Jews, Christians and Muslims can worship freely in the Holy Land. The Palestinians view the presence of Israeli security forces at Al-Aqsa and visits by nationalist and religious Jews as a provocation.

The U.N. Security Council emerged from a closed-door session Tuesday with no unanimous message on the tensions, though envoys from Ireland, France, Estonia, Norway and Albania stood together to express concern. They called for respecting arrangements at holy sites and for restraint from both sides while condemning rocket fire from Gaza and “all acts of terrorism.”

Tensions around the same compound played a central role in the buildup to an 11-day war last May between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.

*RAMADAN – PASSOVER – EASTER*

A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY TRIFECTA IN THE HOLY LAND – BUT SCENES LIKE these ERUPTED ON THE GROUND

[NAT]

PALESTINIANS THROWING ROCKS and fireworks.

[NAT]

ISRAELI FORCES SHOOTING RUBBER BULLETS AND FIRING STUN GRENADES 

RAIDING THE MOSQUE, ARRESTING HUNDREDS 

AND AS THE SITE IS DESECRATED – 

INDISCRIMINATE ATTACKS ON THE STREETS OF THE OLD CITY

IT’S THE WORST VIOLENCE IN JERUSALEM IN OVER A YEAR – 

BOTH SIDES BLAME THE OTHER. THAT’S BEEN THE TAIL OF THE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN CONFLICT FOR DECADES

AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL IS THIS COMPLEX – HOUSING TEMPLE MOUNT – THE HOLIEST SITE IN JUDAISM

AND MASJID AL-AQSA THE THIRD HOLIEST SITE IN ISLAM

SINCE ISRAEL ANNEXED EAST JERUSALEM BACK IN 1967 –
PALESTINIANS SAY THEY’RE WORRIED ABOUT A PLOT TO TAKE OVER THE SHARED COMPLEX – 

BUT ISRAEL DENIES THIS AND SAYS IT’S COMMITTED TO PROTECTING FREEDOM OF WORSHIP FOR ALL

WE’RE OUT OF TIME BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHY THIS SITE IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE THREE MAJOR RELIGIONS.