Jerusalem police and reinforcements completed their preparations on Thursday for the first Friday prayers on the Temple Mount for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Thousands of Muslims are expected to converge on the site, raising the potential for anti-Israel violence.
Jerusalem police chief Aharon Franco will head a contingent of thousands of policemen and Border Guard officers in and around the Old City. Muslim access to the Temple Mount will be restricted to men from the ages of 45 to 50 with permits and married women with permits from the ages of 30 to 45.