ALERT: Israel- Old City Jerusalem Security Message (July 20, 2017)
July 20, 2017
In the aftermath of last week’s attack that killed two police officers outside of the compound known as the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, there have been “nightly confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli police.”
The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv issued a Special Message due to the “potential for violence and unrest in and around Old City Jerusalem”:
Based on continued tensions and the potential for clashes in the Old City, the restriction on U.S. government employees and their family members from entering the Old City is extended until Monday, July 24 at 9:00 am, without prior approval from the U.S. Consulate General.
This restriction includes the immediate vicinity of the Old City gates. We recommend that private U.S. citizens take into consideration these restrictions and the additional guidance contained in the Department of State’s travel warning for Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank when making decisions regarding their travel in the Old City and in Jerusalem.
The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) also issued a security message:
The FCO advise against all travel to the Old City of Jerusalem from 21 July to sunrise on 22 July 2017; two Israeli police officers were fatally shot in a terrorist attack at Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount on 14 July; following this the site was closed for two days and reopened with additional security measures; there have been a number of protests and demonstrations in Jerusalem and the West Bank this week, with calls for further protests over the coming days; you should avoid any demonstrations and follow instructions of local authorities.
According to Reuters:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is weighing whether to remove metal detectors at a Jerusalem holy site whose installation after a deadly attack last week has stoked Palestinian protests, an Israeli cabinet minister said on Thursday.
There have been nightly confrontations between Palestinians hurling rocks and Israeli police using stun grenades in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem since the devices were placed on Sunday at entrances to the Temple Mount-Noble Sanctuary compound.
Tensions remain high ahead of Friday prayers when thousands of Muslims usually flock to al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine, in the compound above Judaism’s sacred Western Wall.
The Israeli army said it had put five battalions on standby to reinforce troops in the occupied West Bank if required.
Muslim religious authorities, who say the metal detectors violate a delicate agreement on worship and security arrangements at the Jerusalem site, have been urging Palestinians not to pass through, and prayers have been held near an entrance to the complex.
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