Israeli PM announces tougher stance against Palestinian rock throwers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that Israel is toughening its war on rock throwers.

The decision was taken several days after an Israeli man was killed in Jerusalem by Palestinians hurling stones at his vehicle.

Netanyahu toured the Armon Hanetziv neighborhood in southeast Jerusalem, where 64-year-old Alexander Levlovich died Sunday after losing control of his vehicle as it was pelted with stones, near the east Jerusalem Palestinian village of Zur Baher.

Netanyahu told reporters that the new policy includes a number of measures against Palestinian stone-throwers, including altering open-fire orders, increasing minimum sentence penalties, as well as imposing fines on families of stone-throwing youths.

"We are changing policies. The current situation is unacceptable and we plan to equip soldiers and police officers to act sternly against stone and firebombs throwers," Netanyahu said Wednesday, according to a statement issued by his office.

He said that throwing stones is "not manslaughter but murder" adding that the new procedures will be deployed throughout Jerusalem and its environs, in addition to northern and southern Israel.

Netanyahu met with his security cabinet Tuesday to discuss security escalation in Jerusalem following Sunday's incident, in addition to the numerous days of unrest in the Holy site of Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where dozens of Palestinians and Israeli police officers were wounded, and over 20 Palestinians were arrested.

As of Wednesday, clashes resumed on a smaller scale, though no injuries or arrests were reported as of press time.

In Tuesday's meeting, Netanyahu said that stone throwers will be met with "stern punitive and preventive measures" and that Israel would "lead systematic changes and set new deterrence and preventative standards."

Public Security Minister, Gilad Erdan, told Army Radio Wednesday that the surge in violence is not considered an "intifada" (referring to Palestinian armed uprising that took place in 1987 and 2000) rather a "gradual rise over the years" of similar attacks, calling for stricter measures against stone throwers.

Erdan was lambasted after criticizing Israeli judges he deemed were lenient in punishing stone throwers.

Police officials told Israeli media Tuesday that hundreds of additional police officers were headed towards Jerusalem amid the recent unrest, and that security was increased in Jerusalem and its environs.

The Israeli Prime Minister Wednesday also discussed tensions at Temple Mount, explaining that Israel will work towards maintaining the status quo.

Both Israel and Jordan jointly run the Mount, occupied during the 1967 Mideast War. The Al-Aqsa mosque is Holy to both Jews and Muslims. Jews are allowed to visit the site but not pray there.

Palestinians view visits by rightwing Jewish activists as a provocation, fearing Israel may take over the complex altogether.

Tensions escalated after an Israeli minister, Uri Ariel, recently visited the site and after Defense Minister, Moshe Ya'alon, outlawed two Muslim groups.

Jordan's King Abdullah II warned Monday that if Israel further provokes Muslims, it would affect state relations which signed a peace treaty in 1994.

Clashes at the compound in recent days during Jewish New Year holiday celebrations, were denounced by both the United States and the United Nations, who urged termination of tensions, asking both sides to exercise restraint and condemn violence.

Several factors led to increased rock-throwing incidents and clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters in Jerusalem and the West Bank this past year including militant attacks, the halt in peace talks, the recent war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, ongoing settlement construction as well as nationalist legislation promoted by Israel's right wing government. Endit