Jerusalem violence puts strain on Israel's coalition government
Clashes in Jerusalem that have stoked tensions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan spread into Sunday, triggering 18 arrests and putting further strain on Israel’s coalition government. Israeli riot police faced off with fireworks-hurling Palestinians in the alleyways of the walled Old City after a visit by Jews to a disputed holy site. Several passengers on two buses were lightly wounded when stone-throwing Palestinians smashed the vehicles’ windows. And a small group of Jewish worshippers was attacked. Sunday’s confrontations were less violent than clashes at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound two days earlier, but they were enough to prompt a small but pivotal Arab party to review its membership in Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s ruling coalition, which no longer has a majority in parliament. The United Arab List – the first party drawn from the country’s 21 percent Arab minority to join an Israeli government – said it was suspending its government membership ove...
