JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his government would not tolerate the eruption of yet a new wave of violence in East Jerusalem and that the government would use all necessary means to prevent it.
He said violence exclusively taking place in East Jerusalem would not be tolerated, neither would stone-throwing in what he called "our capital."
"It [East Jerusalem] is part of our city, it is our city and we will use all necessary means to prevent it [the violence]," Netanyahu said.
He said [settlement] construction would go on in East Jerusalem for both Jews and Arabs. He added that nobody could prevent his government from building homes for Jews in the ancient city.
"We are ready to fight with an iron fist anyone who seeks to divide our city," Netanyahu said assertively.
The leader of Israel's right-wing Likud Party, Netanyahu also dwelt on the Iranian nuclear program, describing it as a much larger threat than the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a militant movement that has overrun major territories in both Iraq and Syria.
"We face the danger of an agreement between world powers and Iran," Netanyahu said, noting that the deal would allow Iran to be a nuclear power that could develop a nuclear bomb in a short time.
"This is a global threat, especially to the state of Israel, even much worse than the threat of ISIL," Netanyahu added.
Israel has been protesting Iran's nuclear program ever since news of this program came to the fore years ago.
The self-proclaimed Jewish state is now expressing strong opposition to talks between world powers and Iran over the country's nuclear program, talks that are expected to end Iran's international isolation in case of a deal.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the holy city of Jerusalem in 1980, claiming it as the capital of its state – a move never recognized by the international community.
Palestinians demand the establishment of an independent state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem – currently occupied by Israel – as its capital.
For many Palestinians, the right of return to their homes in historical Palestine – a right enshrined in U.N. General Assembly Resolution 194 – is a key demand.
By Anees Barghouthy
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