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Jerusalem: Rightists clash with police

Right-wing activists implicated in 'price tag' acts riot when police officers try to arrest them; damage cruisers

Right-wing activists clashed with police forces in Jerusalem Wednesday during arrests made against suspected "price tag" act perpetrators.

 

The ensuing riot saw the suspects damage several police cruisers, shattering the windshield of one and slashing the tires of another.

 

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The rightists claimed that three people were hurt during the skirmish: "Apparently the police are implementing the politicians' recommendations to 'stick it' to the Right," one of the rioters told Ynet.

 

Earlier, Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman convened a special meeting – at the instruction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – to discuss the possibility of declaring acts of violence by extreme rightists as acts of terror, and those who perpetrate them as terrorists.

 

Ne'eman and Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch decided to recommend that Netanyahu form a taskforce which will map out the right wing organizations and declare those with violent tendencies – including the group known as the "hilltop youth" – as terror groups.  

 

Those present at the meeting stressed there was a small number of activists vis-à-vis which a firm hand was needed, adding that the group does not represent the majority of West Bank settlers.

 

Declaring far-right groups as "terror groups" is likely to meet legal hurdles, as such groups have no known hierarchy.

 

'Out for blood?'

Meanwhile, right-wing leaders were irked by Knesset Member Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, who earlier slammed the IDF's lenience toward the settlers who raided an IDF base in the West Bank overnight Tuesday.

 

Ben-Eliezer called the group "a bunch of criminals" and said that the troops should have fired at them.

 

The former defense minister added that "These are acts of terror, plain and simple. I witnessed such terror in the past – it ended with a prime minister being killed."

 

"Anyone urging firing at settlers is taking a big chance," MK Arieh Eldad (National Union) said.

 

"Alongside the censure of 'price tag' acts against innocent Arabs, mosques and IDF soldiers, we must also censure such advocating throwing the settlers to the wolves," Eldad said.

 

"There are definitely more lunatics around and we need a good dose of sanity – Jews mustn’t stone IDF soldiers and IDF troops mustn’t, heaven forbid, open fire on Jews."

 

MK Uri Ariel (National Union) added that Ben-Eliezer's proposal constituted incitement: "He best be careful and retract his words. Opening fire on unarmed civilians, even if they committed a crime, is forbidden. The authorities must pursue this to the full extent of the law – find the perpetrates and try them."

 

MK Zevulun Orlev (Habayit Hayehudi) warned that "Ben-Eliezer has lost all common sense. I expect someone who was once the defense minister to keep his cool – not fan the flames."

 

Yesha Council Chairman Danny Dayan said that "some in the Left, including retired defense ministers and perpetuate would-be PMs, are making cynical use of the violent events of the past few days to carry on a vicious political campaign against the settlement movement.

 

"We will continue to fight the hypocritical Left that aims only to destroy what has been built in the West Bank," he said.

 

 

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.14.11, 14:49
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