US concerned by violence in Jerusalem; condemns rockets from Lebanon

The United States on Thursday said it was concerned about Israeli police attacks on a mosque and holy site in Jerusalem this week, while condemning rocket attacks from Lebanon in apparent response to the raids. 

The attacks come during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover.

“We are concerned by the scenes we see coming out of Jerusalem,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said Thursday. “It is our viewpoint that it is absolutely vital that the sanctity of holy sites be preserved.”

Wednesday night marked the second consecutive night of violence at the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest place in Islam. It is located within the Temple Mount holy site in Jerusalem’s Old City and also holds religious importance in Judaism.

Israeli police forces raided the mosque and injured at least a half dozen people, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, a humanitarian organization.

The police claim that “dozens of law-breaking juveniles” threw rocks and other objects at officers, prompting the violence.

Patel did not directly denounce the Israeli action, which Palestinians have called unprovoked, but did call for peace.

“We emphasize the importance of upholding the historic status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem, and any unilateral action that jeopardizes that status quo, to us, is unacceptable,” Patel said. “We call for restraint, coordination and calm during the holiday season.”

About 30 rockets were fired on Thursday at northern Israel from Lebanon, which Israel alleges were from Hamas and in response to the mosque attacks. Israeli leaders have vowed to retaliate.

“We condemn the launch of rockets from Lebanon and Gaza at Israel,” Patel said. “Our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad and we recognize Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself against all forms of aggression.”

White House spokesman John Kirby echoed calls for peace Thursday.

“We urge all sides to reduce this violence,” Kirby said. “The side we’re taking on is safety and security, the side we’re taking is the status quo, the side we’re taking is one of peaceful worship.”

The violence comes on the heels of mass civil unrest in Israel, centered in Tel Aviv, in response to a proposed law pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government that would strip much of the Israeli judiciary’s independence from political influence.

Last month, major Israeli trade organizations and segments of the Israeli Defense Forces went on strike, spurred by fears the reforms would undermine democracy and remove a crucial check on the government. 

Netanyahu fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, due to his opposition to the change, resulting in increased military participation in protests. 

In response to the protests and rising pressure, Netanyahu announced that implementation of the law would be delayed. Protests have since waned but still continue.

President Biden said last week he hopes Netanyahu “walks away from” the reforms and seeks to find a more widely accepted compromise. 

“Like many strong supporters of Israel, I’m very concerned, and I’m concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road,” Biden said. “Hopefully the prime minister will act in a way that he can try to work out some genuine compromise. But that remains to be seen.”