Dozens of demonstrators prayed together in New York City’s Times Square on Saturday, July 22, in solidarity against the increased security measures taken at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque after violent incidents nearby.
Clashed have broken out between Israeli security forces and Palestinians since the mosque’s reopening on July 16, when worshippers arrived to find metal detectors had been installed.
The measures were taken after an incident just over a week ago in which three armed men exited the mosque and shot dead two Israeli soldiers. Angered by the metal detectors, Palestinians declared a “Day of Hate” on Friday, with a stabbing incident following Friday evening when a young West Bank man killed three members of an Israeli family. He mentioned the al-Aqsa situation in a Facebook post as the reason for his actions. Credit: Instagram/joestevens72 via Storyful