United Arab List threatens to topple government over Temple Mount

(A7) The chairman of the United Arab List party, MK Mansour Abbas, blasted Israeli police Friday morning and threatened to bolt the government over the efforts to break up violent Arab riots on the Temple Mount.

Speaking with Radio A-Shams, Abbas said that the police operation Friday to disperse rioters on the Temple Mount and arrest stone-throwers violated the sanctity of the Al Aqsa Mosque – a red line for his party, which is affiliated with the Southern Islamic Movement.

“I send the message to every level of state officials and the police: Continuing this attack on the Al Aqsa Mosque is a red line for us – also for the stability of the coalition. With this there are no political considerations.”

MK Mazen Ghnaim (United Arab List) wrote to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that if police operations in and around the Al Aqsa Mosque continue, he will resign from the coalition, giving the Opposition an absolute majority in the Knesset.

“If the operations by security forces in the Al Aqsa Mosque are not halted, I see myself outside of the coalition. A government which behaves this way in the holy walls of the mosque has no right to exist. I call on you to act immediately to calm things down.”

Clashes broke out on the Temple Mount early Friday morning, after hundreds of Arab rioters armed with rocks barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli security forces deployed to the holy site took six hours to disperse the rioters and restore order Friday.

Ninety rioters and three officers were injured during the clashes.

Palestinian Authority deputy premier Nabil Abu Rudeineh called the efforts by Israeli police to restore order at the Temple Mount an “Israeli escalation which has turned the political conflict into a religious war that will destroy everything.”