The day before, a Jewish fast-day, the main source of tension had been at Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount) in Jerusalem.

ECONOMIST: Israel and the Palestinians

And when Mr Barak's otherwise big concessions stopped short of yielding Palestinian sovereignty over Jerusalem's Haram al-Sharif, where the great mosques stand, Arafat got the pretext he needed.

ECONOMIST: America and the Middle East

The BBC's Middle East correspondent, Paul Wood, says the call by some Palestinian officials for people to defend the Haram al-Sharif or Temple Mount, site of the al-Aqsa mosque, comes amid rumours of plans by Jewish extremists to take control of the area.

BBC: US envoy George Mitchell postpones Israel visit

It was triggered by a visit by Mr Sharon, then the main opposition leader, to the rocky outcrop in Jerusalem that Jews call Temple Mount, Muslims call Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) and both regard as among the holiest of places on earth.

ECONOMIST: Road to nowhere | The