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Police presence on the Temple Mount on Easter Sunday
Photo: Anadolu Agency / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
After the clashes on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem over the Easter weekend, the Arab Raam party has threatened to withdraw from the coalition government of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
The Raam party and its four MPs announced in a statement on Sunday evening that they were "suspending" their participation in the coalition.
If the government does not end its crackdown on Palestinian protesters, "we will resign as a body," the party warned.
More than 20 people were injured in clashes around the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Sunday.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, 19 Palestinians were among the injured, some of whom were hit by rubber bullets.
Seven other people were injured by stone-throwing Palestinian youths outside Jerusalem's Old City.
Prime Minister Bennett has been at the head of a coalition government made up of eight parties with different political orientations since June.
Last week, the coalition lost its razor-thin majority in parliament after an MP from Bennett's Jamina party resigned.
Like the opposition, the coalition now has 60 seats in the Knesset.
Although she can continue to govern, she finds it difficult to pass laws.
Escalation potential particularly high at Easter
The Raam party's threat has no immediate repercussions as the Knesset is on hiatus until early May.
According to government circles, Bennett wants to try to calm the situation.
If he fails and the Raam party leaves the coalition, the opposition could initiate a vote of no confidence in him.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have recently increased significantly.
The violence on Sunday has increased the number of people injured in Jerusalem to more than 170 since Friday.
The situation is currently particularly unstable because this year Ramadan, the Jewish Passover festival and Christian Easter coincide.
The Temple Mount (Al-Haram al-Sharif) with the Dome of the Rock and the Aksa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam.
But it is also sacred to Jews because there used to be two Jewish temples there.
The Jews are currently celebrating the Passover holiday.
One of the customs is a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
The Temple Mount is also just a few minutes' walk from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians celebrated Easter mass on Sunday mornings.
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