Israeli security officials have warned of the increasing risk of attacks on Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City given recent tensions in the eastern part of the capital and the Sheikh Jarrah/Shimon Hatzadik neighborhood in particular.

While no specific security alert has been issued, previous lone-wolf attacks have been carried out on police officers and Jews at the entrance to the Temple Mount in similarly tense periods. As a result, steps have been taken on the ground to ensure the safety of Jewish visitors to the site.

The number of Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount has increased significantly in recent years. Around 35,000 Jews visited the site in 2021, and Jewish visits to the site are on track to cross the 40,000 mark this year. By comparison, just 5,700 Jews visited the site in 2009.