Police ban nationalist march as tensions rise

Police blocked a planned march by Jewish nationalists through Palestinian neighbourhoods of Jerusalem after a similar parade last month played a key role in building the tensions that led to the latest Gaza conflict.

The decision came as Israel faced an anxious week, with an opposition coalition pushing forward in its attempts to oust the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The ideologically diverse new government may not be voted on in the Knesset until 14 June, said the parliament speaker and Netanyahu ally Yariv Levin on Monday, giving the prime minister more time to knock it down.

Security officials expressed alarm at a rise in incitement and hate speech from the hard right who are angered that the proposed government – while headed by a far-right nationalist, Naftali Bennett – includes Arab and leftwing politicians. The head of the opposition, Yair Lapid, who negotiated the coalition, attempted to appeal to rightwing voters, saying “this government isn’t being created against you”.