Unrest exploited, official says

Israel's foreign minister berated right-wing politicians on Thursday for exploiting tensions in Jerusalem, underscoring concerns that an increasingly violent dispute over a major holy site may be spinning out of control.

The comments by Avigdor Lieberman came a day after a Hamas militant slammed a minivan into a crowd awaiting a train in Jerusalem and a Palestinian motorist drove into a group of soldiers in the West Bank.

Perennial tensions have spiked in recent weeks as hard-line Israeli politicians stepped up demands for the removal of restrictions preventing Jews from praying at the holy site.

Lieberman said Israeli politicians pushing for greater Jewish access to the site were behaving irresponsibly.

"I think these are people seeking cheap headlines in this very sensitive atmosphere, trying to cynically exploit a very complex situation," he said.

AP

(China Daily 11/07/2014 page12)