Riot police block Druse demonstrators protesting in front of
the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem against the lack of
infrastructure investments in their villages and demanding
equal budgets from the state.
In light of
the demonstration, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Interior
Minister Eli Yishai met with a delegation of Druse and Circassian
leaders, Army Radio reported.
Police arrested three protesters after several people tried to
break into the compound. Seven policemen and two demonstrators
were lightly wounded in the clashes.
The demonstrators were protesting what they called discrimination
against them in the allocations of funds for local authorities in
their towns and villages.
They called on the government to cancel the local authorities'
outstanding debts, to create income sources and to increase
government funds to the Druse and Circassian villages.
"In war, a Jew and a Druse are equal, in the budget, ten Druse
children are like one Jewish child," read one banner held by the
protesters.
The demonstrators hurled water bottles, tomatoes and hard-boiled
eggs at police, and waved flags, including the Israeli flag,
Israel Radio reported.
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