million each.. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it will reopen gradually, after security evaluations on Sunday.Jordan, a custodian of the sacred compound, called for its immediate reopening.The closure, also something that rarely happens, meant a cancellation of noon prayers, which typically draw tens of thousands of Muslims from Israel and the Israeli occupied West Bank to the compound on Fridays.Unable to reach the shrine, some of the faithful performed prayers in the streets near Jerusalem’s walled Old City and then dispersed quietly.Top News: Thai King Dies After 70 Year ReignNetanyahu quickly tried to allay Muslim fears, saying that the status quo at the Muslim administered site “will be preserved.”Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed Momani said Israel must not take any steps that “would change the historic situation in Jerusalem” and at the shrine.Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said that “we cannot allow for agents of murder who desecrate the name of God, to drag us into a bloody war.”Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reached out to Netanyahu in a phone call, highlighting the concern about a possible escalation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
million each.. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it will reopen gradually, after security evaluations on Sunday.Jordan, a custodian of the sacred compound, called for its immediate reopening.The closure, also something that rarely happens, meant a cancellation of noon prayers, … Continue reading