Protesters took to the streets of Jerusalem, several cities in the West Bank, and Jordan on Friday as anger reignited over US President Donald Trump’s controversial decision last week to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli security forces in the West Bank city of Bethlehem as hundreds demonstrated outside the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Thousands gathered in downtown Amman, and Jordanian television aired live footage of smaller protests elsewhere in the country.
Metal security barriers were erected around the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City, which has often become a flashpoint for protests, and extra police officers have been deployed to control crowds.
Israel did not impose age restrictions on those able to access al-Aqsa mosque on Friday. In the past, young men have been banned from entering the area for Friday prayers in a bid to prevent violence.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed that officers would be carrying out additional security measures in and around the Old City throughout the day.
Trump’s move last week to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and commit to moving the US embassy to the holy city prompted international criticism and sparked protests across the world.
The announcement, which upended seven decades of US foreign policy, delighted Israeli officials but was condemned by Palestinian leaders, who see East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki told reporters last week that the leadership had decided there would be “no formal communications” with US officials in the wake of Trump’s Jerusalem decision.
Jordan’s King Abdullah has also been critical of Trump’s announcement, saying last week that there was “no alternative to a two-state solution, and Jerusalem is key to any peace agreement.” Abdullah is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem.