Christian Tourist Attacked in Jerusalem When Raising Israeli Flag at Temple Mount

Israeli police have reported that a Christian tourist was attacked by Muslims this week when he attempted to raise the Israeli flag at Jerusalem's Temple Mount.

Police say that the tourist and four Palestinian men from East Jerusalem were detained following the attack. While the tourist sustained minor injuries, he may face charges of disrupting the peace, as it is illegal to display Israeli symbols at the Temple Mount for fear of violent backlash from Islamic worshippers.

The tourist attacked at the Temple Mount this week was reportedly in his mid-thirties and visiting the sacred city from France. While some Palestinian outlets described the man as an "Israeli extremist," other media outlets have argued that such descriptions are inaccurate.

According to the Times of Israel, a video released of the recent Temple Mount incident shows police escorting the man off of the premises as he is surrounded by visitors.

Tensions in the West Bank have been heightened in recent weeks following the death of an infant in an alleged arson attack on the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement recently that the country will be cracking down on Israeli extremists, especially in the West Bank.

"I have heard from the fringes of our society that there are those who say there is a supreme law above the country's laws. I wish to clarify that there is no law above the country's laws," Netanyahu said recently. "Whoever breaks them, whoever champions hate crimes, whoever carries out violence, whoever carries out terror, we will act against them with all the weight of the law."