Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu at a News Conference in Jerusalem
IN PHOTO: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a news conference at his office in Jerusalem August 6, 2014. REUTERS/Jim Hollander

Jerusalem's Temple Mount is considered a holy place by both Muslims and Jews, but it has become the subject of an intense debate. Tensions sparked following the attempted assassination of Rabbi Yehuda Glick, who was born in the United States.

According to reports, Glick is pushing for the construction of a third Jewish temple where the Temple Mount stands. There are currently two Jewish temples that have survived since they were built thousands of years ago. Glick, who was seriously wounded in the attack, is leading the campaign to allow Jews to pray on the site.

However, Israel has banned the Jews from using the site to prevent tensions with Muslims who are also using the nearby Noble Sanctuary, Islam's third holiest site, to pray. A Palestinian had shot Glick in the chest four times after the rabbi attended a seminar at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem. The incident caused Israelis and Palestinians to escalate the violence and trade accusations.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused "terrorists" for the clashes over Temple Mount, according to the Washington Post. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described Israel's policies and actions at the Temple Mount have resulted in a "detrimental religious war."

The mounting tensions have prompted Israelis to stock up on self-defence weapons following the random and fatal stabbings of two Israelis. The Jerusalem Post said they were attacked by Palestinians in Tel Aviv earlier this week. Staff at gun store told the local paper that they were sold out of weapons. Aryeh Green, a 16-year-old Israeli said people are arming themselves with knives, pepper spray and even brass knuckles. Violent attacks have been on the rise in the last few weeks over the Temple Mount as Palestinians in east Jerusalem claimed the Jews were secretly attempting to take control of the site.

Meanwhile, the collapse of peace talks, the war in Gaza against Hamas and the continued resettlement of Israelis in east Jerusalem added to the growing distrust between Israelis and Palestinians. The recent turn of events has caught the attention of the United States that previously brokered peace talks between the two parties.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to arrive in Jordan, a country near Jerusalem, to aid in restoring peace. According to a spokesperson of the department, the U.S. government is "deeply concerned" by Israel's decision for building homes in east Jerusalem as the international community fears the move will only add more fuel to the tension.