An American proposal to remove the metal detectors at the entrance to the Temple Mount is being seriously considered by Israel. The metal detectors would be replaced by selective use of hand scanners on suspicious individuals.
If the implementation is agreed upon, it would happen before this Friday.
The metal detectors were placed on the Temple Mount entrances after three Israeli-Arabs, with no security records, murdered two Israeli policemen in a terror attack on Friday. The police suspect that members of the Jordan’s Islamic Waqf that manage the Temple Mount assisted the three terrorists in smuggling their guns onto the holy site.
Netanyahu and the police immediately decided to place metal detectors at the entrances to the Temple Mount, as is located in all other sensitive locations in Israel, such as at the Kotel, government buildings, museums, malls, bus stations, the Tomb of the Patriarchs, et al.
Once the initial shock of installing the metal detectors was over, the Mufti of Jerusalem, the Waqf, Jordan, Hamas, and the Palestinian Authority swung into action, and began calling for protests using inflammatory rhetoric, with some of them opening calling for violence.
The Mufti declared that Allah wouldn’t accept any Muslim’s prayer who walked through the Zionist metal detectors.
In an act designed to cause an escalation, the Waqf and Mufti announced that this Friday’s prayers would be canceled at all mosques in Jerusalem and that all Muslims should come to the prayers outside the Temple Mount.
There is an expectation that there will be a serious escalation of Muslim violence on Friday due to the increasing rhetoric and inflammatory statements coming from their Islamic religious leaders.
The decision to replace the metal detectors with selective hand-held scanners was proposed by the US during intensive discussions with Jordan and Israel. The US is “very concerned” with the escalating tensions.
The police have previously recommended to PM Netanyahu not to remove the metal detectors as they feel they are needed to maintain security, while the Shin Bet (Shabak) has recommended they be removed in order to reduce the escalating tension and rhetoric.
It is not yet known if Netanyahu has agreed to capitulate to the Islamic threats of violence.
On Wednesday, Israel quietly installed security cameras on the Temple Mount, though the Muslims don’t yet seem to be aware that they are now there.
During this past week, when most of the Waqf officials and Muslims have not gone up to the Temple Mount, the holy site has been very quiet and peaceful.
Normally, members of the Waqf and other Islamic groups actively harass Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount.
The Temple Mount is the location of the two Jewish temples, and is considered the holiest site in the world for the Jewish people.