Jerusalem District Commander Doron Yedid addressed the violent clashes on the Temple Mount and opening the Mount to Jewish ascent.

"I don't know the concept of a status quo. From the day I've known the place, the Muslim holiday morning prayer begins at 6:30 AM, miraculously they changed the prayer to 7:30 AM.

"When we realized that everything was rolling towards preventing Jewish ascent by a handful of rioters, we used force, dispersed them and allowed the Jews to ascend."