TEL AVIV, September 21, 2015 (WAFA) - The
Israel Police will be expanding their use of firearms against Palestinian
stone-throwers to include areas inside
the 1948 borders, Monday revealed the Israeli daily, Haartez.
This decision came only a few days after
Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein approved the use of sniper fire
against Palestinian “stone-throwers” in Jerusalem who protest against Israel’s
growing dominance over al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
The attorney general’s decision came a day
after Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared what he described as a
“war” on rock-throwing protesting Palestinians in Jerusalem, following three
days of clashes in and around al-Aqsa mosque as police allowed the entry of
Jews into the holy site.
During an emergency meeting with Israeli
security officials and ministers, Netanyahu said that, “'It has been decided to
toughen the measures in many areas; a modification of the rules of engagement
will be examined as well as the establishment of a minimum penalty for those
who throw stones and significant fines for minors -- and for their parents --
who commit these offences.'
According to Israeli media outlets, “Though
firearms have been widely used by the Israeli army against Palestinians in the
West Bank, Israeli police in Jerusalem ‘are not able to do so under their own
current rules of engagement’ and has so far been allowed to use non-lethal
protest control measures, such as rubber-coated bullets, stun grenades and tear
gas.”
The aforementioned move allowed the police to
introduce for the first time lethal weapons in their crackdown against a
seemingly growing uprising by Jerusalem’s local Palestinians.
Haartez Monday revealed that, the force will be
trained to use the Ruger .22-caliber rifle, which is generally not lethal, only
if stone-throwers pose a risk to passengers traveling in cars, and that
perpetrators will be shot only in the legs.
It said that, the issue was raised after
several recent incidents of Bedouin youth throwing stones at cars driving on
Route 31 near Dimona, and the roads near Arad, Rahat, and Segev Shalom, inside
the 1948 land.
“The
current decision limits the use of the Ruger to instances of stones being
thrown at vehicles or people’s homes,” stated Haartez, adding that, “The
security discussions about stone-throwers have not addressed protests in Tel
Aviv.”
Meanwhile, B'Tselem, , an Israeli human rights center, said
in a report,
that based on experience gained over recent years in the West Bank it expects
that, “approval for this move would not have the result desired by the
government and rather than “restore order” to Jerusalem, it would exacerbate
the cycle of violence with lethal results.”
“Allowing
the use of live ammunition against stone-throwers in East Jerusalem will have
lethal consequences.” Stated the center.
T.R.
