Erdan: Metal detectors crucial at Temple Mount

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan says metal detectors placed at a contested Jerusalem shrine after a deadly attack there are essential to maintain security, despite a Muslim call for mass protests in the city if they are not removed.

Erdan tells Army Radio that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will rule on the issue later in the day after he holds security consultations upon his return from a working visit to Europe. Israeli security services are reportedly divided over what to do given the volatility surrounding the site.

But Erdan rejects Arab accusations that new Israeli security measures are an attempt to expand control over the site and insists they are necessary to carry out proper security checks.

“The Israeli police needs these metal detectors so the security checks can give a proper response to the security considerations,” he says. “I assume there are contacts internationally to try to calm the situation, but in my eyes there is no reason why the situation should not be calm.”

— AP