Israeli cabinet votes on harsher laws against Palestinian stone-throwers

The Israeli Security Cabinet will convene on Thursday to discuss a plan that was proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that would legislate for the use of snipers against stone-throwing demonstrators, introduce mandatory minimum sentences for them, and impose large fines on parents of minors under the age of 12 who throw stones.

The cabinet issued a statement, saying that the plan will be put to the vote today in cabinet and it is based on three steps: Easing the procedures governing the use of live bullets against demonstrators, imposing a minimum actual prison sentence for those convicted of throwing stones and Molotov cocktail bombs, and introducing fines on the parents of minors caught throwing stones or firebombs, according to Israeli newspaper Maariv, on Thursday morning.

This Israeli escalation against stone throwers began in recent weeks, even before the completion of the legislative procedures and endorsing orders to open fire on demonstrators and stone-throwing children.

Netanyahu is seeking through his escalation in practice, rhetoric, and propaganda to turn the issue of the occupation of Jerusalem to a purely security matter that has nothing to do with occupation and resistance to occupation.

Netanyahu is trying to appear strong in tackling "stone terrorism," which is the phrase that he is trying to consecrate to Israeli propaganda inside and abroad, and to garner more support from the extreme right - also through intensifying continuous incursions on the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Netanyahu announced that he opposed the position of the Attorney General, Yehuda Weinstein, who did not support the government's plan and suggested a one-year trial period in which minimum sentences would be introduced to punish stone-throwers. Netanyahu's Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked wanted the trial period to be three years or to make it a general law that would apply to other areas in the occupied territories - not only Jerusalem - to include Palestinians living in Galilee, the Triangle and Negev.

Netanyahu is also looking to revoke the social security benefits of children who are caught throwing stones - merely 200 Shekels ($60) a month for each child under 18.