After weeks of high-profile assaults around Israel, military action in the West Bank, and Israeli police entering and arresting hundreds at one of Jerusalem’s holiest sites, Israel’s 10-month-old coalition government is facing its worst political crisis to date.
The coalition government, which was formed by a historically diverse lineup of political parties ranging from the extreme left to the right wing, including the first Arab party to be an active member of a governing coalition, has had a razor-thin margin from its beginning.
Because of this diversity, the administration said early on that it had no intention of addressing Israel’s most divisive topics. However, recent escalations have brought these challenges to the forefront.
When Idit Silman, a member of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s own party, left earlier this month, the party’s one-seat majority in parliament was lost. The action caused political shockwaves across Israel, but it did not necessarily indicate that the present government would fall apart, especially because the opposition, led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, lacks the necessary numbers to establish a majority.
But that could be changing. In recent days, Israeli police said they detained more than 300 individuals at the al-Aqsa mosque compound during Passover and Ramadan commemorations, where police believe people hurling rocks and shooting fireworks were threatening safe prayer. Rubber bullets, stun grenades, and police batons, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, have harmed a large number of individuals.
The presence of Israeli police inside the mosque became a flashpoint, as it is considered disrespectful to Muslims and puts a strain on a decades-old “status quo” agreement over the site. As a result, the United Arab List, popularly known as Ra’am, withdrew from the coalition to protest what it called Israeli police aggression at the holy site, which is revered to both Jews and Muslims.
“We will submit a collective resignation if the government continues its actions against Al-Quds and its people, Al-Aqsa, its worshipers, and its sanctuaries in this holy month,” party members stated in a statement. “We urge on all parties to collaborate with and support our decision.”
For the time being, the decision has no immediate ramifications; Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, is in break for a few more weeks, and when it returns, the party may elect to rejoin the coalition.