Representatives of Arab local authorities in Israel Monday joined hundreds of demonstrators outside the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem to protest far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's freezing of hundreds of millions of dollars in budgeted funding to Arab municipalities. The protesters chanted "racist settler" against Smotrich, who also came under scathing criticism, including from other cabinet ministers, and accusations of racism from opposition lawmakers, for refusing to release about $84 million for development of Arab towns and villages inside Israel. Scuffles broke out as protesters, including Arab lawmakers in the Knesset Ayman Odeh and Mansour Abbas, arrived at the entrance to the Finance Ministry. The protesters were also denouncing escalating violent crime in Arab communities, which claimed 150 lives since the start of the year.
Source: Jordan News Agency