Kerry urges restraint, expresses worry over tensions in Jerusalem

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday he was worried about the escalation of tensions across Jerusalem and urged leaders to reopen Temple Mount to Muslim worshippers.

Kerry condemned the shooting of a U.S. citizen at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, saying the State Department was seeking more information from the authorities.

Yehuda Glick, a religious activist, was shot and wounded late on Wednesday. He has campaigned for Jews to be allowed to pray at the Al-Aqsa compound, or Temple Mount, a holy site at the heart of the violence.

"It is absolutely critical that all sides exercise restraint, refrain from provocative actions and rhetoric, and preserve the historic status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount - in word and in practice," Kerry said in a statement.

Tags

John Kerry, Temple Mount, Al-Aqsa, status quo

Copyright Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.