View of Temple Mount
View of Temple MountMiriam Alster/ Flash 90

The Commander of the Jerusalem District of the Police, Moshe Edri, on Thursday evening held a security assessment, following which he announced that police would restrict the entry of Muslim worshipers into the Temple Mount on Friday.

According to Edri’s instructions, Muslim men aged 40 and over and women of all ages will be allowed into the compound.

The Jerusalem Police will continue to employ reinforcements around the capital, especially around the Old City and traffic routes used by worshipers at the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.

The announcement was made hours after Hamas and other Palestinian Arab terrorist group announced a “day of rage” on Friday.

The groups called on Palestinian Arabs to clash with Israeli security forces in Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaria and near the Gaza border.

Arabs have been regularly rioting and clashing with Israeli security forces on the Temple Mount for well over a month now.

Israel has continued to face international criticism as it has moved to defend its security forces from being attacked by violent Arab mobs, even though the riots have been initiated by the Arabs.

Despite being the holiest site in Judaism, the Temple Mount has been left in the de facto control of the Jordanian Waqf, which has banned Jewish prayer at the site in spite of Israeli law stipulating freedom of worship for all.