Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Photo: wiki commons.

A group of Jewish men planning a visit to the Temple Mount on Thursday for Sukkot were forced away from the holy site by Israeli police.

Police made the decision to bar the men from entering after learning about a possible attack by Muslim visitors already on the premises.

“While conducting their search, police came under a barrage of rocks thrown at them by angry Muslims, leading Jerusalem Police District Commander Maj. Gen. Yossi Pariente to order the site closed to Jewish visitors,” JNS.org reported.  The Arutz Sheva publication in Israel notes that an “exceptionally large number of people were anxious to get in and pray.”

Israeli law forbids the practice of prayer for all non-Muslims at the site in an attempt to keep relative calm at one of the world’s most contested religious sites.

Some of the men began yelling at police as they were told they would not be allowed entry, and police did apprehend a number of people on-site.

The holiday of Sukkot is one of three Jewish holidays in which a pilgrimage was made to the Temple Mount, when the temple was functioning.

To view a video of the incident, click below.