(Fox) A Jerusalem holy site at the heart of recent tensions between Israelis and Palestinians was quiet on Friday, police said after age restrictions for Muslim men who wanted to pray there were lifted for the first time in weeks.
The development came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Jordan’s King Abdullah II in an attempt to restore calm in the holy city.
Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the site was open to Muslims of all ages for weekly prayers. About 40,000 attended prayers and there were no immediate reports of violence, she said.
In recent weeks, police had barred Muslim men younger than 35 to try and quell violent protests by Palestinians, who have clashed with police in response to visits by Jewish worshipers. The visits have stoked fears among the Palestinians that Israel intends to alter decades-old arrangements surrounding access to the site, something Israel adamantly denies.