A view of Jerusalem. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – The Jerusalem District Police conducted a number of pre-emptive arrests ahead of the Passover holiday to prevent friction in the Israeli capital.

The arrests followed intelligence suggesting both Muslim and Jewish extremists planned to provoke riots and disturb the peace across Jerusalem during the holiday.

As part of the police’s efforts, several Muslim extremists planning to block Jews from the Temple Mount were arrested in recent days.

Jerusalem police Sunday raided the homes of six Jewish extremists, all minors, and detained them. All six are members of the Temple Mount Faithful movement. Raphael Morris, the group’s leader, was also arrested in light of intelligence suggesting the group was planning to visit the Temple Mount and perform a Passover sacrifice ritual.

A full closure was imposed Monday on Judea and Samaria, and all crossings linking Israel and the Gaza Strip were also closed. The crossings will open for humanitarian cases, medical cases and specific exceptions. Such closures are routine procedure for major Jewish holidays.