Attempts to find a solution for the…

Attempts to find a solution for the holy Temple Mount—which Jews claim as the site of their biblical temple and which Muslims call Al-Haram al-Sharif, the site of the Prophet Muhammad's ascension to heaven—continue as Barak struggles to survive amid evaporating political support.

They end on September 28,when, in a highly publicized attempt to emphasize Israeli sovereignty, government opposition leader Ariel Sharon—accompanied by a one thousand-man strong police contingent—pays a visit to the site.

In the context of July's tense negotiations over Jerusalem's holy places, and Sharon's well-known call for Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem, this move seriously undermines Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and provokes large Palestinian protests in Jerusalem.

Israeli soldiers kill six unarmed protesters, sparking widespread rioting in the Palestinian-controlled areas and among Israeli Arabs in Israel.