United Arab List-Raam Party Freezes Knesset Activity Over Jerusalem Clashes

The United Arab List-Raam party has frozen its membership in the government coalition and suspended its activities in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset over the current clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian worshippers on the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa compound. The Shura Council of the Southern Islamic Movement, the umbrella organization for the party, made the decision on Sunday evening following a day of clashes at the site, which is holy to both Jews and Muslims.

The Knesset will be on its spring recess until May 9. Party chairman Mansour Abbas tried to influence council members in favor of staying in the coalition, Israel’s Channel 12 reported.

On Sunday morning, Israeli security forces and Arab worshippers clashed at the Temple Mount, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is located, as some of the Arab worshippers prepared to throw stones and block entrances to the site to prevent Jewish pilgrims from visiting the site for the first intermediary day of Passover. The Israeli security forces pushed the worshippers into the mosque compound before the Jewish visitors entered the site, according to reports.