Israel arrests senior Muslim official in Jerusalem
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Israeli police have arrested the head of the Islamic authority that oversees Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem following recent protests.
Sheikh Abdelazeem Salhab, a cleric appointed by neighboring Jordan, was arrested early Sunday. Mahdi Abdelhadi, a senior member of the Islamic Waqf, confirmed the arrest.
On Friday, Palestinian protesters streamed into a part of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound that Israel had sealed off in 2003 because it was home to a heritage organization allegedly connected with a militant Islamic group. Israeli police accused the Waqf of attempting to change the status quo at the sensitive site by convening in the closed area last week.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The mosque compound is the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount.