Israeli police closed part of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for seven hours Jan. 14 after a confrontation between guards and an Israeli policeman who tried to enter the Dome of the Rock shrine wearing a Jewish head covering, or kippah.
The violation of the accepted norms of Israeli and Palestinian relations created extreme tension at one of Islam's holiest mosques. Security at the site is regulated by armed Israeli police and unarmed civilian guards; the latter are employed by the Jordanian Waqf (Endowment) Ministry. Jordan is the official custodian of the site.
