The Muslim cleric of the Islamist Ra'am party, Sheikh Mohammad Salameh Hassan, called Sunday on his party to resign from the coalition, "for the sake of Al-Aqsa."
Hassan's call comes in the midst of the holy month of Ramadan -- a time of exacerbated tensions and religious sensitivity -- and in the wake of violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian rioters near the al-Aqsa Mosque.
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Palestinian rioters outside al Aqsa mosque, Mansour Abbas leader of Ra'am
(Photo: Retuers, Alex Kolomoisky)
"This coalition attacks our holiest of holly sites in Palestine," he said. "God does not answer to a government that attacks children, woman, old and young people, journalist and others, using its police force," The sheikh said.
"If we don't speak out, we have no good in us, and if you refuse to hear us, you have no good in you," he concluded.
His statements added to the pressure, Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas, leader of Ra'am, is contending with after violent clashes between Muslim worshippers and Police forces, erupted outside the al Aqsa Mosque on Friday and the arrests of more than 400 Palestinians by the police.
He had been attempting to bring about an end to the violence after his political rival, leader of the predominately Arab Joint List last week, called on Arab citizens of Israel to refuse to serve in the country's security forces.
Sources in the party said the members were debating whether or not to remain in the coalition or resign from it, a move that would cause the government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, to fall.
Abbas spoke out forcefully against the police conduct in Jerusalem but did not raise the possibility of his party's resignation.
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A Muslim man prays outside the mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem on Sunday
(Photo: AFP)
"We condemn any attack on the al Aqsa mosque and are doing all we can to prevent any offense against its sanctity," Abbas said.
"Following the events on Friday, Ra'am confirms its members have been working since before the holy month of Ramadan, to prevent any attack on the mosque and on worshippers," he said.
"Our representatives stress that the real solution, is in the banning of any non-Muslim from the site which belongs to Muslims. Daily incursions on it, offend our rights for purity and evoke anger. We will fulfill our duty to the al- Aqsa mosque and protect it from harm, because it is a place of faith and cannot be part of politics," Abbas said in a statement.
Riots resumed on Sunday on Temple Mount and in the Old city resulting in 18 Palestinians arrested.
Bennett has lost his parliamentary majority earlier this month when his own party member, former coalition whip Idit Silman said she would no longer vote with the coalition which she claims is endangering the Jewish character of the nation.