By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
The Temple Mount will be closed to non-Muslim visitors on Sunday and police will restrict the entry of Arabs for the day, after Islamic leaders accused Israel of carrying out an excavation at the holy site, police said.
The unusual weekday restrictions come after Muslim leaders calls on Arabs to visit the site en masse in response to Israeli excavation work near the Mughrabi Gate.
All Arab men under the age of 45 will be barred from the site due to security concerns, police said, with only those above 45 with Israeli ID cards - as well as women of any age - allowed into the ancient compound.
Israeli archeologists are currently carrying out a salvage excavation adjacent to the Temple Mount due to the planned construction of a new bridge to the Mughrabi Gate after the old bridge was removed due to safety concerns.