Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett ordered additional security on public buses going to the Old City after a situation assessment with top defense officials in the wake of renewed Palestinian riots in the Temple Mount area, as the fragile political partnership with Arab MKs inched closer to unraveling.
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"We are working to calm things down on the one hand and are taking vigorous action against violent individuals on the other," he said.
Meanwhile, the Arab party in the coalition, Ra'am, convened its special governing council to discuss its future partnership with the government. Following the meeting, the part – which essentially holds the balance of power in the Israeli parliament – announced a temporary suspension of its participation in the coalition and in the Knesset. While this could potentially end the Bennett premiership if they withhold support in key votes, the fact that the Knesset is in recess means that any shock to the coalition through a no-confidence vote or a dissolution of parliament could only take place starting in May. The conventional wisdom is that the Arab party will ultimately resume their membership in the coalition if the tensions in Jerusalem subside.
The Palestinian Red Crescent medical service said 17 Palestinians were wounded, including five people who were hospitalized. Israeli police reported nine arrests. By midday, witnesses said police had moved out of the compound. Israel Police said they entered the compound to facilitate the routine visit of Jews to the holy site. They said Palestinians had stockpiled stones and set up barriers in anticipation of violence.
Israeli police on Sunday entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City to quell the rioting. The unrest happened just two days after clashes with Palestinians at the same site.
Violence in Jerusalem between Israeli security forces and Palestinian demonstrators a year ago escalated into an 11-day Gaza war.
The hilltop compound housing the mosque is the third-holiest site in Islam, while it is the holiest place for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. The competing claims to the site have sparked numerous rounds of violence.
This year the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Christian holy week culminating in Easter Sunday, and the week-long Jewish Passover are all occurring at the same time, with tens of thousands of visitors flocking to the city after coronavirus restrictions have been mostly lifted.
Israeli police accused Palestinians of "defiling and desecrating" a holy site, while Palestinian officials accused Israel of trying to divide the sensitive holy site. "What happened in Al-Aqsa Mosque is a dangerous escalation, the repercussions of which are to be borne by the Israeli government alone," said Nabil Abu Rdeneh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Omer Barlev, the Israeli minister in charge of the police, said it was important to ensure freedom of worship "but we will not compromise when violence and terror take place."
The police cleared Palestinians out of the sprawling esplanade outside the mosque itself early Sunday, while dozens of Palestinians remained inside the building chanting "God is Greatest." Video released by police showed small groups of youths throwing stones, as well as fireworks being fired from inside the mosque.
Palestinians reported brief clashes with Israeli police just outside the mosque compound, while police said Palestinians had thrown stones at buses outside the Old City. Paramedics said five people riding in buses received treatment for minor injuries in the attacks.
Police released a video showing a crowd of youths pelting a passing bus with stones just outside the Old City. Another video from the police, taken inside one of the buses, showed Jewish families sitting on the floor of the vehicle as it continued on its way.
Jordan, which serves as custodian of the holy site, issued a statement condemning Israel's actions, saying they undermine "all efforts made to maintain the comprehensive calm and prevent the escalation of violence that threatens security and peace."
Under longtime understandings, Jews are allowed to visit the Temple Mount but are barred from praying there.
A radical Jewish group recently called on people to bring animals to the site in order to sacrifice them for Passover, offering cash rewards for those who succeeded or even tried. Israeli police work to prevent such activities, but the call was widely circulated by Palestinians on social media, along with calls for Muslims to prevent any sacrifices from taking place.
Israeli police accused Palestinians of spreading disinformation on social media, heightening the tensions.
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