Israelis arrested at Gaza protest

THOUSANDS of Israeli police encircled Jerusalem’s Old City yesterday to keep Jewish ultranationalists out of a disputed holy site and prevent protests by Muslim worshippers.

Sixteen Israelis were arrested after their protest against a Gaza withdrawal fizzled out.

However, police acknowledged that the pullout opponents achieved their main goal - tying up the security forces.

Protest organisers have said yesterday’s event was a trial run for this summer’s planned withdrawal, when they want to divert as many troops as possible from dismantling Jewish settlements in Gaza by forcing them to secure other areas, including the Jerusalem shrine.

The tension in Jerusalem came as thousands of Palestinians, including dozens of armed men, marched in a funeral procession for three teenage boys killed by Israeli troops in disputed circumstances.

Holding the three flag-covered bodies aloft, mourners chanted “God is greatest!” and vowed to avenge the boys’ deaths. Gunmen fired in the air and vowed revenge. The friction clouded Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s visit to the United States, where he is to meet with President George W Bush in Texas today in an effort to win a strong public endorsement for the Gaza pullout.