Israel on Friday barred thousands of Muslims from accessing the al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam's holiest places.
Israeli soldiers and police were seen scuffling with young Palestinians on their way to the Golden Islamic Shrine for the Juma'a congregational prayers.
"They are behaving like the Nazis," said Hasan Ta'amari from the nearby village of Ta'amareh, as he was told he couldn't reach the Haram al Sharif esplanade.
"This shows that Israel is denying non-Jews the most essential freedoms of all, the religious freedom."
The draconian (and recurrent) measure forced hundreds of Palestinians under the age of 40 to hold their ritual prayers in the streets outside the walled Old town.
Palestinian leaders have accused the Israeli state of seeking to take over the holy place.
"They (Israel) want to destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque in order to build a Jewish temple on its site. This is a message directed at Muslims," said one Jerusalemite leader.
Last week, the Israeli interior minister Tzahi Hanegbi said he would allow Jews the right of entry to the Islamic holy place for the purpose of praying there.
The statement, which came in the aftermath of the arrest by Israeli policy of the leadership of the Islamic Movement in Israel, including Sheikh Ra'id Salah, the former mayor of Um-al-Fahem, infuriated Muslim leaders.
Sheikh Muhammed Hussein, Imam of the Aqsa Mosque, said Muslims would never allow non-Muslims to establish right to hold prayers at the Muslim shrine.
"In principle, we are not against tourists, including Jewish tourists, to visit here. But we shall never allow anything beyond that."
Israel, which has been occupying Jerusalem for the past 36 years, is systematically denying Muslims and Christians from the West Bank and Gaza access to their respective holy places in the city, sacred to Muslims, Christians and Jews.
Jewish extremists, who are effectively and supported by the Israeli government, have been seeking to demolish the Islamic Shrines in the city, hoping that this act would expedite the coming of the Jewish messiah or redeemer.