All Jerusalem synagogues have armed guards during the high holidays

As the terrorist threat in Israel’s capital remains high, every synagogue in Jerusalem will be protected by armed security professionals during the High Holidays, District Police Commander Doron Turgeman told reporters on Wednesday.

In the run-up to the Jewish New Year, Turgeman added, “There have been more warnings and actionable threats of all kinds, even during the days of Selichot [penitential prayers], on weekdays and holidays.

He mentioned the fact that 110 people are being held as part of the police’s plan to stop “incitement and hostile terrorist activity.”

Jerusalem’s top police officer noted that 31 attempted attacks have been stopped by police in Jerusalem since the year 2023 began.

In January, a Palestinian terrorist opened fire inside a synagogue in the Neve Ya’akov area of the city, leaving seven people dead and numerous others injured. Judaism’s holiest site, the Temple Mount in the Old City, sees an increase in Jewish pilgrims throughout the holiday season; therefore, special measures are being taken to preserve the delicate peace there, according to Turgeman.

JNS reported this week that the Muslim Brotherhood branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel is intensifying its attempts to stir up disturbances on the Temple Mount, with deputy chairman Kamal Khatib alleging that “Jewish religious communities have been mobilizing people to raid the blessed Al-Aqsa mosque.”

The Hamas terrorist organization, a Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has a rhetorical style that is strikingly similar to Khatib’s. On September 11, official Haroun Nasser al-Din warned that Israel planned to “exploit the ‘Jewish holidays’ to carry out raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque.”

“There will be dynamic public access,” Turgeman informed the assembled media, “to allow Muslims and Jews to ascend the Temple Mount without harming each other.”

According to him, eight people were taken from the area on Tuesday alone for stirring up trouble.

The Days of Awe, which encompass Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, were officially accepted by Turgeman on Wednesday, according to a press statement. Simchat Torah and Sukkot preparations are still being made.