During a meeting on Sunday led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israel Police Force proposed a compromise concerning the limits on the entry of Israeli Arabs to the Temple Mount during Ramadan.
According to radio Kan Reshet Bet, the police proposed a differential age limit - according to which the entry of adult men under the age of 40 would be prohibited and the age of children and women would be decided at a later date.
The decision would be enforced during the first week of Ramadan, after which it will be decided if to continue with the limits or to loosen them. Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed support for the proposal and asked to conduct extensive staff work on the matter.
During the meeting, security officials stated that the majority of the "problematic factors" among the Israeli Arabs and in eastern Jerusalem are younger than 40, among them people with affiliations with illegal groups and those who are unaffiliated but are known to the Shin Bet and police.
A government official stated that "the decision takes into account the fear of overcrowding and pushing at the entrance to the Temple Mount." According to him, the target number of visitors in the entire area of Temple Mount is 50 thousand. The official also noted that the decision is subject to change "depending on the situation in Gaza and if there will be a deal to release hostages."
The Shin Bet Director and the IDF representatives at the meeting were of the opinion that limits on Israeli Arabs could give Hamas what it wants: a unified front and unrest among a population that avoided conflict the entire period of the war.
Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir called the opinion another misconception of the defense establishment, which needs to be forgotten after October 7th.
On Sunday it was reported that during the discussion, Minister Ben-Gvir asked to limit visits to Muslims above the age of 70.
Ben-Gvir also requested to allow police officers to enter the site to remove inciteful banners, but that request was not granted.
