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Mosque Crisis and Jordan Attack Raise Fears of Escalating Violence in Israel - The New York Times

posted onJuly 24, 2017
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Article snippet: JERUSALEM — The Israeli security cabinet convened for urgent discussions late Sunday, amid fears that a standoff over Israel’s placement of metal detectors at entrances to the sacred Aqsa Mosque compound could result in a long wave of violence. After a weekend of bloodshed, Palestinian Muslims continued their protest by refusing to enter the compound. Later, there were indications that the violence may have spread to Jordan, the custodian of the shrine and an important regional ally of Israel. Jordan’s official news agency, Petra, and Jordan’s Public Security Directorate reported on Sunday night that two Jordanians had been killed and one Israeli had been wounded in a shooting inside the Israeli Embassy compound in Amman, the Jordanian capital. The agency, citing the Security Directorate, said the two Jordanians had entered the embassy’s compound to do carpentry work. There was no information from officials in Israel, where there was a news blackout on the report. Also on Sunday, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority clarified that his decision to freeze contacts with Israel over the metal detector crisis included suspending security coordination with its security forces. The system of tight security cooperation is unpopular with many Palestinians. But it has helped anchor the authority’s control in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and Israeli officials say the program has helped thwart many terrorist attacks. “Things will be very difficult... Link to the full article to read more

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