The Palestinian citizens of Israel have long lived in a tinderbox. The large non-Jewish national minority of 21% of the population of Israel proper has been constantly fighting for and failing to win equality in the self-proclaimed Jewish state.
Various factors make peaceful coexistence within Israel so fragile. The overriding Palestinian-Israeli national struggle in the West Bank and Gaza, the unique situation of Jerusalem and its holy sites, especially beleaguered Al-Aqsa Mosque, lack of budgets for Arab towns and the increase in criminality and deadly violence in Arab communities arguably due in large part to police apathy have all contributed to this situation, which deteriorated further when the Israeli Knesset passed the Jewish nationality law further legitimizing discrimination based on religion and national origin.
