Metal detectors have been removed by Israel from the gate of entrances to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City to be replaced by CCTV cameras, hoping to calm days of bloodshed, but the modified security measures are still unacceptable, as said by Palestinians.
Metal detectors at Al-Aqsa Mosque gates installed by Israel
On July 14, metal detectors at entrances to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque after two police officers were fatally shot, triggering the bloodiest clashes in the middle of Israelis and Palestinians in years.
However, the President of Palestine named Mahmud Abbas and the senior Muslim cleric who supervises Al-Aqsa mosque compound both dismissed the new measures which are relating to the Israel and demanded all of them be removed.
At the beginning of a meeting with the leadership relating to Palestine, Mr. Abbas said that "Since July 14, all new measures which are relating to the Israel put in place those must be removed so that things can return to normal in Jerusalem and we can begin our work again relating to bilateral relations.”
Violence raised an international alarm on Friday and Saturday
The spike in tensions and the deaths of three Israel and four Palestine people in violence raised an international alarm on Friday and Saturday and to consider ways of defusing the crisis it resulted in a session of the United Nations Security Council.
In New York, Nikki Haley, who is a U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council that "All parties should work to lessen these stress and we offer whatever assistance we can in helping to do this.”
“There were plans to invest in advanced camera systems” said by Israeli media
To fix overhead metal joist that will hold CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras, municipal workers started work in some of the small stone-paved streets on every side of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.
“There were plans to invest in advanced camera systems” said by Israeli media.
“It had allotted up to 100 million shekels means $35 million for the equipment and for additional policing over the next six months” this added in the statement of the cabinet.
It had decided to pay attention to a recommendation of Israeli security bodies and replace the detectors with "smart checking" gadgets, said an issued statement after the security cabinet meeting.
The dispute, like many in the Holy Land, is about much more than security gadgets, taking in issues of sovereignty, religious freedom, occupation and nationalism relating to Palestine.
