JERUSALEM — Israel began removing metal detectors from entrances to a major Jerusalem shrine early Tuesday morning to defuse a crisis over the site that angered the Muslim world and triggered some of the worst Israeli-Palestinian clashes in years.
The Israeli Security Cabinet had met for a second straight day Monday to find an alternative to the metal detectors, which were installed following a deadly Palestinian attack at the holy site.
Associated Press photos showed a worker dismantling one of the devices at Lions Gate before 2 a.m.
“The Security Cabinet accepted the recommendation of all of the security bodies to incorporate security measures based on advanced technologies (“smart checks”) and other measures instead of metal detectors,” Israel announced Tuesday morning.
It said the measure will “ensure the security of visitors and worshippers” at the holy site and in Jerusalem’s Old City. It added that police will increase its forces in the area until the new security measures are in place.
Israel erected the metal detectors after Arab gunmen killed two policemen from inside the shrine, holy to Muslims and Jews, earlier this month. The move incensed the Muslim world and triggered violence.
The fate of the site is an emotional issue at the heart of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Even the smallest perceived change to delicate arrangements pertaining to the site sparks tensions. The Al-Aqsa mosque site is known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, and to Jews as the Temple Mount.
Just a few hours earlier, Israel and Jordan resolved a diplomatic standoff after a day of high-level negotiations that ended with the evacuation of Israeli Embassy staff from their base in Jordan to Israel.
The crisis had been triggered by a shooting Sunday in which an Israeli embassy guard killed two Jordanians after one attacked him with a screwdriver. Jordan initially said the guard could only leave after an investigation, while Israel said he enjoyed diplomatic immunity.
The crisis was resolved after a phone call late Monday between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Jordan is the Muslim custodian of the site which is also holy to Jews.
Israeli ministers reportedly considered the installation of sophisticated, high-resolution cameras and increased police deployments as a replacement for the metal detectors. The cameras would be installed in Jerusalem’s Old City where the shrine is located.
Media reports had said the emerging deal could see the embassy security guard released in exchange for the removal of the metal detectors.
The 37-acre walled compound in Jerusalem is the third holiest site of Islam, after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. It is also the holiest site of Judaism, revered as the place where biblical temples once stood.
Muslim leaders alleged Israel was trying to expand its control at the site under the guise of security by installing the metal detectors, a claim Israel has denied.
