Israeli threaten to limit Muslim prayers

ISRAEL yesterday threatened to limit the number of Muslims allowed to pray at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, saying a portion of the biblical-era structure was in danger of collapse.

The announcement, which Palestinians criticised as a scare tactic, threatened to ignite a new controversy at one of the most sensitive sites in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The site - known to Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as the Haram al Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary - is revered by both religions.