Attack on Christian holy site sparks riot

The attack accented tensions between Israel's Jewish majority and its Arab minority.
NAZARETH, Israel (AP) -- A distraught Israeli couple, joined by another woman, entered one of Christianity's holiest sites Friday and set off explosions, police said, sparking a large riot in this biblical town in northern Israel.
At least eight people, including five police, were injured in the melee, which appeared to be under control by late Friday.
The assailants, who were not believed to be linked to any Jewish nationalist group, were disguised as Christian pilgrims when they entered the Basilica of the Annunciation, police said.
They remained barricaded inside the building for several hours before police broke through a crowd of several thousand angry protesters and took the three away.
The family's motives were unclear, but police said they had been treated for psychiatric problems in the past and faced the possibility of losing custody of their children.
The church is at the site where Christians believe the Angel Gabriel appeared before the Virgin Mary and foretold the birth of Jesus.
Although the attack did not appear to be nationalistic, it underscored the tensions between Israel's Jewish majority and its Arab minority. Israeli Arabs, who make up about 20 percent of the population, complain of systematic discrimination.
Police said the three entered the Basilica of the Annunciation Friday evening and set off firecrackers and other small explosives. Church officials said the site was unguarded, and witnesses said the explosives were hidden in a baby stroller.
A witness who identified herself only by her first name, Rouan, said the church was crowded with worshippers praying for Easter.
"We heard a boom. It went on for six or seven minutes," said the 22-year-old woman. She said the blast left black spots on the walls inside, but witnesses said there was no serious damage.
Within minutes, thousands of people began rioting outside, preventing police from entering. The attackers remained barricaded inside the building for several hours before police broke through the crowd and took them into custody.
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