The leader of the Islamist Ra’am party said Friday that he had informed his coalition partners that violent clashes on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem were a “red line” that could further harm Israel’s unstable government.
“The continued harm to Al-Aqsa is a red line for us, including in the context of coalition stability,” Mansour Abbas said in an interview on Radio Al-Shams.
“In the case of Al-Aqsa, there are no political considerations,” he added, referring to the holy site by the name of the mosque there.
The current Israeli government has been brought to the brink of collapse in recent days after a member of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party quit the coalition, causing it to lose its razor-thin majority. The 120-member Knesset is now deadlocked, with both the coalition and opposition comprising 60 seats apiece.
The Ra’am chief’s comments came as clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israeli police at the Temple Mount early Friday morning. Over 150 Palestinians were injured according to the Red Crescent; Israel said three officers were also hurt. The Muslim Waqf authorities said hundreds were arrested, while a police source quoted by the Kan public broadcaster said 400 were detained.
The Ra’am party sharply condemned the police response, repeating that “Al-Aqsa is [part of] the faith and there is no place for political considerations regarding it.”
“Muslims have the exclusive right to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The daily invasions are an aggression against that exclusive right,” Ra’am added
Ra’am MK Mazen Ghnaim later threatened to quit the coalition “if the actions of the security forces at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque aren’t halted immediately.”
“A government that acts this way… has no right to exist,” he said in a statement addressed to Bennett.
Amid the clashes, police said in a statement that it was committed to allowing prayers to take place at the holy site. “We call on the worshipers to maintain order and observe the prayers in an orderly manner. The Israel Police will not allow rioters to disrupt the prayers and disrupt public order,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, Bennett held a meeting with Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and Public Security Minister Omer Barlev at a Border Police base in Jerusalem. “[We are] working to provide security for Israeli citizens,” Bennett tweeted.
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