Yom Kippur, now with riots!

Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when Jews around the world fast, pray, and repent their sins.  It is, ideally, calm and full of spiritual reflection.  Unfortunately, this year's 2009 will be remembered not for its spiritual significance but for yet another conflict between Israelis and Palestinians

There are differing accounts of the clash, partially due to Israel's media blackout during Yom Kippur, but the general outline of events are as follows:

A few non-Muslims tried to enter the al-Aqsa mosque or Temple Mount sometime Sunday morning, in violation of agreements between the Israelis and Palestinians.  Israeli authorities claim they were tourists, the Palestinians claim they were Israelis.  Palestinians nearby responded with violence, throwing stones and other nearby objects.  Israeli police intervened, dispersing the crowd with tear gas and stun grenades, with a few minor injuries sustained by both police and Palestinians.  They also arrested a few Palestinians.

Conflict continued throughout the day, with Palestinians throwing rocks and molotov cocktails at police throughout East Jerusalem.  Palestinian leaders blasted Israel for "deliberately escalating tensions" to prevent progress during upcoming peace negotiations.

We'll know more once Yom Kippur ends and official reports emerge.  It's still sad that, even on the holiest day of the year, peace moved a little farther away.