Palestinians lampoon Israeli stance against stone throwers

Palestine's Foreign Ministry warned Sunday that Israel plans to use live fire rounds against unarmed Palestinian stone throwers, both in Jerusalem and all of Israel, a statement said.

Tensions have flared up for the past three days in east Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque, with violent clashes erupting between Israeli police forces and Palestinian worshipers.

Palestinians fear that Israel will permit increased Orthodox Jews to enter the Al-Aqsa compound during the Jewish New Year holidays which will last until early October.

They warn of Israeli plans to establish a concrete divider at the mosque's compound, which would be antithetical to the status quo.

An official statement from the ministry considered the tougher restrictions, announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as an official call for Israeli police and extremists to execute Palestinians, as the decision facilitates live shootings at Palestinians and their properties.

The ministry called on Muslim and Arab countries to maintain their efforts to stop the "desecration" of Al-Aqsa mosque, and halt plans to erect a physical divider at the compound.

Meanwhile, Israeli radio announced that Netanyahu will chair a session on security conditions in Jerusalem, saying that Israeli police submitted a draft bill permitting police forces to use live bullets against both stone or molotov-cocktail throwers, in cases where citizens' lives are endangered both in east Jerusalem and other Israeli cities.

The bill has been approved by Israeli government legal advisor, Yehuda Feinstein.

Netanyahu said that government holds the right to determine the appropriate punishment for stone throwers, the radio quoted him as saying.

Ahead of a weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu accused Islamic parties, the Palestinian National Authority and Turkey of inciting tensions in the site, and vowed to maintain Al-Aqsa mosque's status-quo. Endit