The Cabinet yesterday began a full-dress discussion of current Jerusalem Sabbath traffic disturbances. The discussion will be continued at the regular meeting next Sunday.
All Ministers taking part in the discussion expressed a grave view of the situation, which, for the past 10 weeks, required police reinforcements in the Meah Shearim section of the city and adjacent religious quarters.
The views ranged from advocates of the most stringent measures against extremists and zealots who stone vehicles, to requests by National Religious party Ministers for a ban on Sabbath traffic in the districts concerned. It was also proposed to close on the Sabbath the Mandelbaum Gate, where arrivals of tourists on Saturdays were said to have led to the renewed demonstrations.
Before the discussion, Deputy Premier Abba Eban, who is acting Police Minister, reported on the disturbances last Saturday in which two policemen were injured during a clash with zealots.
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