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Killing of Palestinian journalist won’t push Arab party to quit Israeli coalition

Clashes between police and mourners at the funeral procession of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh add to the public pressure on Muslim coalition party Ra’am.
Israeli government ministers look on as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett chairs the weekly Cabinet meeting at Chagall State Hall in the Knesset building, Jerusalem, July 19, 2021.

It has been a week since the May 11 shooting of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, but her name still tops the headlines in Israel, particularly among the Arab society. Just yesterday, a fight broke out in the Knesset, when Arab Joint List’s Knesset member Ahmad Tibi chose to attack Knesset member Meirav Ben-Ari of Yesh Atid, calling her “human scum,” for refusing to express any regrets over the death of Abu Akleh in a TV interview a few days earlier. Ben-Ari had tears in her eyes, when she later stepped up to the podium to respond. “I’m sick of it already. I’m sick of it! What kind of behavior is that?” she said.

The conflict in the Knesset broke out two days after the release of new footage showing Israeli police bursting into the Jerusalem French Hospital, where Abu Akleh’s funeral procession began. Reports showed police officers violently clashing with mourners. The incident added no credit to the police, who have already come under criticism for the way they responded to the funeral itself.

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