Israeli Lawsuit Seeks Damages For Closing of Temple Mount to Jews On 9th of Av

In Israel in the Old City of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount is administered by the Muslim Wakf in coordination with the Jerusalem police.  Today, which is Tisha B'Av (9th of Av), the day in the Jewish calendar commemorating the fall of the First and Second Temples, Jerusalem police prevented Jews, including a number of prominent Israeli politicians, from entering the site on which those Temples formerly stood because of fear of Muslim rioting. The Dome of the Rock, holy to Muslims, now sits on the Temple Mount. The Jerusalem Post reports that the tension always surrounding the site-- was exacerbated as Tisha B'Av coincided this year with Ramadan. The police decision, made after security assessments, was criticized by a number of politicians.  The Joint Staff of the Temple Har Habayit filed a lawsuit seeking compensation of NIS 5000 ($1400 US) for travel costs, lost wages and pain and suffering for every Jew denied entry.  Apparently border police had promised in advance that the site would be open to Jews today.