Minister Livni
Photo: Noam Moskowitz
Minister Aharonovich
Photo: Yaron Brener
Livni, Aharonovitch: 'Price tag' to be tried as act of terror
Justice minister, interior security minister to bring before the cabinet initiative by which 'price tag' crimes be dubbed terroristic acts
An initiative to change the legal standing of "price tag"
attacks to that of an act of terror will be brought before the cabinet next week, according to a resolution devised by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni,
Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich and representatives from the police and security forces.
The initiative is part of a larger shift intended to bolster police and Shin Bet action against "price tag" offenses in the West Bank and Israel.
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In the State budget that was passed this week, Aharonovich managed to secure funds for some 50 additional police officers who will be enlisted to a special unit focused entirely on nationalistically-motivated crimes, aimed at battling the phenomenon of "price tag" offenses.
Minister Livni has recently met with several settlement representatives in order to gain support for the initiative.
Sources within the Internal Security Ministry stressed that the initiative's intent was to target nationalistic crimes of any kind, but that the main effort was to foil "price tag" acts executed by Jewish outlaws.
A source familiar with the details added that police and Shin Bet were interested in cooperating "in order to prevent crimes of this sort and fight the phenomenon."
According to a formal statement issued by Livni's office Thursday, "Minister Livni, Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich and Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein discussed nationalistically-motivated crimes today. Representatives from the State Prosecution, the IDF and Shin Bet also attended the meeting."
The statement added that the ministers and the attorney general fear that "price tag" offenses could harm the ties with Israeli Arabs.
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