Netanyahu: 'We're in the midst of a wave of terrorism'

October 09, 2015 05:24

Amid a wave of violence, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday urged Arab and Israeli leaders to stay away from one of the country's holiest sites, in an effort to keep tensions from getting out of hand.

In a televised speech, Netanyahu asked Jewish and Arab political leaders to stay away from the site Jews calls the Temple Mount and Muslims the Noble Sanctuary, for fear it could spark an "explosive" event. Anger has been brewing among Palestinians over Israeli restrictions on access to the site.

The site is sacred to both Judaism and Islam and, as such, has become a focal point of discord.

In other remarks, Netanyahu was far more stern and contentious.

He blamed recent bloodshed on the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls Gaza, for what he called their "incitement and libels and lies." He castigated those who used Molotov cocktails, knives, rocks as well as live ammunition against Israeli citizens and security forces.

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