Police arrest 15 rightwing Israelis in Jerusalem

Police on Thursday arrested 15 Israeli rightwing activists who were planning to go to the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound without authorization, a statement said.

The compound is Islam’s third holiest site and the holiest to Jews who call it the Temple Mount.

Jews are allowed to visit the site but not to pray there, and incidents occur regularly when Jews try to ignore the rule and Muslims intervene to stop them.

On Thursday, dozens of rightwing activists gathered in the centre of Jerusalem as part of a plan to head to the flashpoint site, police said.

“A police officers ordered them to disperse but they refused and 15 of them were arrested,” the statement said.

Before police intervened, the activists “committed acts of violence” against Palestinians, police said.

“They had formed a human chain to prevent local residents from entering the Old City and committed acts of violence against them,” said the statement, which gave no further details.