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| The Mufti of Jerusalem Mohammed Hussein |
The top Muslim cleric of Jerusalem was detained by Israeli police on accusations of inciting violence after chairs were thrown at Jews at the al Aqsa mosque, according to a statement released by Israeli police.
Israeli police were questioning the Muslim on Wednesday for alleged involvement in a disturbance on the Temple Mount, a police spokesperson said.
The Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammed Hussein, was taken from his home by detectives and was being questioned at a police station "for his alleged involvement in a riot that took place yesterday at the Temple Mount," police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said.
"Some chairs were thrown at a group of Jews on the Temple Mount," Rosenfeld said.
Hussein's arrest comes on Jerusalem Day, when Israel celebrates the reunification of the city during the Six Day War of 1967.
“If police find a link between the chair throwing incident and Hussein then the Mufti should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. No violence should be tolerated against any group of people in Jerusalem,” Joe Daniels, 51, of the Bronx, New York told YourJewishNews.com after learning about the arrest of the Mufti.
Thousands of Israelis are celebrating, holding marches and demonstrations throughout the city on Wednesday, and Rosenfeld said "thousands of police were deployed around Jerusalem and the Old City in the preparation of the annual events."