Violence erupts at Jerusalem holy site

09/02/2007 10:12:05 AM

Hundreds of angry Muslim worshippers clashed with police Friday in a protest over contentious Israeli renovation work at a disputed holy site in the Old City.

CTV.ca News Staff

About 200 police tried to halt the violence at the site known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount.

"There were clashes between young Palestinian Muslims and police," Jerrold Kessel told Canada AM Friday. "There's a dispute over who started the clashes. There have been some injuries, but none seriously reported."

Kessel said police have shut the doors to the al-Aqsa mosque with hundreds, possibly thousands, still inside.

The compound in Jerusalem is known as Islam's third-holiest site and is also home to the golden-capped Dome of the Rock. The site is believed to be where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

The compound is also sacred to Jews as it is the site of their biblical temples and the rock where Abraham attempted to offer his son as a sacrifice.

The Palestinian protesters are angry about Israeli renovation work on a ramp that leads to the hilltop compound. They say they fear that the work will damage the foundations of the mosque; Israelis argue the concerns are being used as an excuse to act out.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said "political extremists" were trying to "exploit this situation."

Police said several protesters and officers were injured in the clashes Friday, which erupted at the end of prayers.

Police were ready in expectation and had tripled their usual numbers around the Old City. Around 3,000 security officers tried to get the situation under control.

Israeli authorities had originally intended to repair the ancient ramp, which was damaged in a 2004 snowstorm, promising not to damage the compound located about 60 metres away.

Israel has controlled the compound since the 1967 Mideast War but has allowed Palestinians and Jordan to handle the administration of the Muslim holy sites.
With files from The Associated Press