Israel will allow police to open fire on Palestinian protesters

PanARMENIAN.Net - Israel's security cabinet has approved measures that allow police to open fire with live ammunition at Palestinian protesters throwing stones when officers believe that lives are in danger, Los Angeles Times reports.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet late Thursday, September 24 that police can and should open fire at stone-throwers in such circumstances, Israeli media reported.

"Until recently, police officers would open fire when their own lives were at risk," Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting held to discuss how to confront the increase in stone-throwing incidents in mostly Arab East Jerusalem, according to the reports. "From now on, they will be allowed to open fire — and they will know they have a right to do so — when anyone's life is in danger," he said.

Police reportedly would be able to fire relatively small-caliber rounds from Ruger rifles at people hurling stones, firebombs or fireworks.

The measures extending the circumstances under which police can fire live ammunition had drawn criticism in advance, with the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem warning in a recent report that easing the policy would only exacerbate the violence in East Jerusalem and have lethal consequences.

"The government is bent on continuing to address the situation in East Jerusalem only by force," B'Tselem said.

The policy shift follows the death last week of an Israeli motorist in a crash after his car was struck by stones.