Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's military correspondent.
Palestinian protesters hurl stones at Israeli security forces amid clashes in Jerusalem's Old City on May 8, 2021. (EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)
To get a sense of the unparalleled potency of the city of Jerusalem you would have only needed to look at Latrun Junction on Saturday afternoon to watch dozens of young Muslim men and women, carrying prayer rugs, marching off in the direction of the Temple Mount after police kicked them off buses heading toward the capital for fear they would take part in violent protests at the holy site.
These pilgrims, mostly from Arab towns in northern Israel, made it to the Old City for evening prayers after hiking more than 30 kilometers (19 miles).