All the main parties in Israel’s election are playing a game of hawkish one-upmanship that spells trouble for any hope for a peace in the divided country says Daoud Kuttab.

Israeli security forces tripled their usual numbers around Jerusalem’s Old City this morning as the city braced for possible riots during Muslim prayers at the Holy Land’s most contentious religious site.

An Israeli Islamic leader warned of “religious war” and Iran’s supreme leader urged retaliation against Israel today over new excavations and repairs in Jerusalem’s Old City, outside the Holy Land’s most explosive religious site.

The supreme leader of Iran has called on Islamic nations to retaliate against Israel over excavations being carried out near a hotly disputed holy site in Jerusalem.

Police today scuffled with an Israeli Islamic leader and several of his followers near a hotly disputed holy site in the Old City of Jerusalem where Muslims have been protesting excavations and repairs.