This day of Tisha B\'Av has seen tens of thousands of Jews of all stripes visit the Western Wall and other Old City sites. As many of them were reciting Tisha B\'Av prayers and the traditional Kinot (lamentations) at the Wall, Arabs up above on the Temple Mount - Judaism’s holiest site - began hurling large rocks at the Jewish worshippers below. The Jews were evacuated, some of them against their will, from the Western Wall plaza, while police blew open the nearest gate to the Mount, stormed in, and arrested some of the Arab attackers. Additional stoning attacks continued, prompting the police to forcefully enter the Mount in response; several policemen and Arabs have been hurt. Police officials said that Arab MKs present on the scene incited the mobs to use violence against the Israelis.
Islamic and PLO groups began inciting Palestinians as early as Friday to \"physically protect\" the Temple Mount from Jews planning to conduct a symbolic cornerstone laying ceremony for the Third Temple this morning. Despite Israeli assurances that the ceremony would not be held near the Mount, but rather at the parking lot outside the Old City\'s Dung Gate, the calls of incitement - what Prime Ministers Sharon\'s spokesman Raanan Gissin termed \"Palestinian vilification and lies\" - continued up through today. Jerusalem Police Chief Mickey Levy had earlier informed Islamic Waqf officials that no Arab disturbances would be tolerated. The cornerstone ceremony was in fact held without incident this morning, two hours earlier than scheduled, but amidst charges by organizers that the police had \"rushed it up\" and not kept to the previously agreed-upon terms.
Islamic and PLO groups began inciting Palestinians as early as Friday to \"physically protect\" the Temple Mount from Jews planning to conduct a symbolic cornerstone laying ceremony for the Third Temple this morning. Despite Israeli assurances that the ceremony would not be held near the Mount, but rather at the parking lot outside the Old City\'s Dung Gate, the calls of incitement - what Prime Ministers Sharon\'s spokesman Raanan Gissin termed \"Palestinian vilification and lies\" - continued up through today. Jerusalem Police Chief Mickey Levy had earlier informed Islamic Waqf officials that no Arab disturbances would be tolerated. The cornerstone ceremony was in fact held without incident this morning, two hours earlier than scheduled, but amidst charges by organizers that the police had \"rushed it up\" and not kept to the previously agreed-upon terms.