US State Dept. says Washington ‘concerned by the scenes out of Jerusalem’

By Jacob Magid

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6 April 2023, 7:18 pm

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Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

Asked to comment on the clashes over the past two nights between Israeli police and Palestinian worshipers at the Temple Mount, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel says, “We are concerned by the scenes out of Jerusalem.”

“It is our viewpoint that it is absolutely vital that the sanctity of holy sites be preserved. We emphasize the importance of upholding the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem and any unilateral action that jeopardizes the status quo is unacceptable to us,” he continues. “We call for exercising restraint, coordination and calm during the holiday season.”