JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that he had made a “balanced decision” to allow freedom of worship at Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque during Ramadan, but that access would be limited according to security needs.
Asked about the possibility of blocking access for Israeli Muslims to Al Aqsa, a flashpoint prayer site in Jerusalem’s Old City, Netanyahu’s office said: “The prime minister made a balanced decision to allow freedom of worship within the security needs determined by professionals.” It gave no details.
Israel often sets limits on which worshippers can reach the prayer site – for example based on age – in order to avoid violence from erupting at the site, which is part of a compound also holy in Judaism.
(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by James Mackenzie)
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