BICOM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back on Monday evening after ministers on the right of his coalition expressed views challenging his position on the Temple Mount. The Prime Minister office issued a statement declaring: “The policy of the Government of Israel regarding the Temple Mount was expressed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his statement Saturday night, and nothing has changed. Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear that he expects all members of the Government to act accordingly.”

The statement came after Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely expressed her aspiration that Israel should fly its flag on the Temple Mount, which Israel has refrained from doing since extending its sovereignty to the area in 1967. Netanyahu was keen to reaffirm the conciliatory position he announced Saturday night, including his commitment to cooperate with Jordan on maintaining the status quo, after US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian leaders to coordinate steps to calm the tensions.

Meanwhile, the US reacted sharply to reported comments made by Netanyahu in which he raised the question of Israeli residency rights for Palestinians in East Jerusalem. According to reports, Netanyahu mentioned in a security cabinet meeting, and again in a Knesset hearing, the question of residency rights for Palestinians living in some East Jerusalem villages. According to media reports Netanyahu has called for further discussions on whether all East Jerusalem neighbourhoods should retain residency rights.

Palestinians in East Jerusalem have enjoyed residency rights, including full Israeli civil rights and economic and social benefits, since Israel unified the city in 1967. However, Palestinian youths in East Jerusalem have played a significant role in the recent security deterioration, engaging in violent clashes with Israeli police. Many of the Palestinian attackers in recent terror incidents have come from East Jerusalem.

Some East Jerusalem neighbourhoods have been cut off to some extent from the rest of the city by the security barrier, and East Jerusalem as a whole suffers from significant under development. However, any move which would appear to divide the city would nonetheless have major political political ramifications.