Netanyahu Rebuffs Criticism as Jerusalem Violence Swells
- Israeli leader rejects pressure to halt building in Jerusalem
- U.S. said it’s ‘extremely concerned’ over the confrontations
Palestinians react to stun grenades fired by Israeli police to clear the Damascus Gate after clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, May 7.
Photographer: Maya Alleruzzo/APIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against international criticism of government policies that have sparked weeks of violence in contested Jerusalem, condemning the unrest as the work of extremists and rejecting what he said is mounting pressure to halt Jewish construction in the city.
“We will not allow any extremist element to undermine the quiet in Jerusalem,” Netanyahu said at a special cabinet meeting marking Jerusalem Day, the reunification of the city in the 1967 Middle East war. “We will uphold law and order, vigorously and responsibly. We will continue to safeguard freedom of worship for all faiths but we will not allow violent disturbances.”