Israeli security forces detain a Palestinian man during clashes that erupted during a rally marking Nakba Day in Jerusalem, Wednesday, May 15, 2013. Palestinians annually mark the "nakba," or "catastrophe" — the term they use to describe their defeat and displacement in the war that followed Israel's founding in 1948. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) (The Associated Press)
JERUSALEM – Israeli police have temporarily barred Israeli Jews and tourists from entering a sensitive holy site in Jerusalem after Palestinian demonstrations.
Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the ban, announced Thursday, is a precaution.
On Wednesday, violence erupted as the Palestinians held an annual day of mourning and protests over the displacement over millions of Palestinians following Israel's creation in 1948. Police say Jewish worshippers inside the Old City were attacked during the unrest.
Rosenfeld said the site remains open for Muslims and will reopen for others after security assessments. Palestinians see visits by Jews as a provocation, and disturbances often erupt.
Jews and Muslims revere the site, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque was built above the ruins of the biblical Jewish Temples. The competing claims are a key issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Fox News' "Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.