Palestinian Arabs on Sunday sought to lay their claim to certain areas of the Holy Land ahead of Tuesday's second round of peace talks by planting flags at strategic locations.
In Jerusalem, the flag of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was draped from the Al Aqsa Mosque that occupies the southern end of the Temple Mount. Several more PLO flags were planted around the compound, the most holy place on earth to Jews and many Christians.
Police later removed the flags, as they represented a violation of laws that prohibit the display of flags or other symbols belonging to recognized terrorist organizations.
In Hebron, a large procession of Palestinian Arabs waving PLO flags marched through one of the city's small Jewish neighborhoods. The Israeli army allowed the march, though it usually tries to keep the Jewish and Arab populations in Hebron separated to avoid confrontation.