Netanyahu praises Jerusalem camera plan

Photo: Raad Adayleh, AP
Israel's prime minister says the country "has an interest" in round-the-clock video surveillance at a sensitive Jerusalem holy site.

Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday the cameras will allow Israel "to refute the claim" that Israel is changing a longstanding arrangement at the site that allows Jews to visit but not pray.
The current round of Israeli-Palestinian violence was fueled by rumors that Israel plans to change the delicate status quo at the holy site. Israel adamantly denies the claim, which has been fueled by a growing number of visits by Jewish activists and hard-line Israeli lawmakers who seek an increased Jewish presence at the site.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday announced an agreement between Israel and Jordan, including the video monitoring, that are meant to put an end to a monthlong outburst of violence.

Palestinian official Saeb Erekat gave the plan a cool reception Sunday, saying Israel just wants the cameras to track and arrest Palestinians.


10:50 a.m.

The Israeli military says a Palestinian stabbed and moderately wounded an Israeli in the West Bank.

The military says the assailant fled the scene. The victim was stabbed after he pulled over and exited his car, which Palestinians were pelting with rocks, the military said.

Sunday's incident comes a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced that Israel and Jordan had agreed on steps to help bring an end to a monthlong wave of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

The agreement included round-the-clock video monitoring at a sensitive Jerusalem holy site at the center of recent tensions. It was not immediately clear whether the steps would be enough to calm the unrest.