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.

That day, guards stopped the Israeli security officer from inspecting the dome because of his kippah. Israeli security makes inspection rounds at the site regularly, but never while wearing religious garb. Tensions quickly escalated, leading Israeli security to close the Dome of the Rock. The closure went on for seven hours, forcing Muslim worshipers to conduct their prayers outside. Hundreds of Muslims gathered, and the situation became very tense.

Khalil Assali, publisher of Akhbar el-Balad, a Jerusalem-centric news site, told Al-Monitor Israeli security officials know they must differentiate between their job as police and their religious attitudes. “If he hadn't been wearing the religious head cover or [if he instead] had security headgear on, there wouldn't have been any problem. But the religious head cover became part of the problem between Muslim worshipers and religious Jews who covet the mosque and consider it part of their Temple Mount.” The disputed site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is considered holy by Muslims, Jews and Christians.