Photo Credit: Tomer Neuberg / Flash 90
Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Israel’s Minister of Defense Benny Gantz seemed to point a finger of blame at Israel’s Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid over Sunday night’s Arab riot at the Damascus Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem.

Police arrested 10 suspects for throwing rocks and other objects at police forces. One officer was injured in the melee.

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Gantz has reportedly been disgruntled with the current coalition government and feels that he is being shut out of major decisions being made by Lapid and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

Speaking with Israel’s 103 FM Radio Channel, Benny Gantz made statements that appeared to be a criticism of Lapid for holding a tour in the area around the Damascus Gate late Sunday evening. This visit took place shortly before the riot began there.

“There are many who want to walk around places and in all kinds of situations,” Gantz said, referring to Lapid’s visit. “[It would be a] nice to think about it before the tour.”

That comment about thinking ahead of time seemed to suggest that Lapid failed to consider the consequences of his visit.

“He was also there with the Minister of Internal Security,” Gantz said. “And that is perfectly legitimate.

“In general, without getting into the details of the patrol, let’s not do anything agitating that can undermine the stability of the situation,” he added.

It should be noted that Israeli Police did not point to any specific cause for Sunday night’s rioting, which followed a similar spate of violence on the first night of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, barely 24 hours earlier.

Israel’s security forces were already on “Ramadan alert” nationwide following the recent wave of Arab terrorist attacks in the country.

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