Israel set to further criminalise rock throwing

Senior Israeli ministers convening last night in emergency session were expected to endorse legislation requiring a minimum sentence for anyone convicted of throwing stones or petrol bombs.

The move came after an Israeli driver crashed his car and was killed on Sunday night in Jerusalem after police said his vehicle was stoned by Palestinians.

Public security minister Gilad Erdan defended stiffer penalties. “I will not allow this phenomenon to continue,” he said. “Rock throwers are murderers in every sense. They must not be able to be released on bail. This is not how you establish deterrence”

The new Israeli crackdown came after police clashed with rock-throwing Palestinian youths for the third consecutive day on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City, a site holy to both Jews and Muslims.

The crowd hurled flares at security forces, who cleared the area to prevent stones being thrown at the adjacent Western Wall, where thousands of Jewish worshippers gathered for prayers on the second day of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.

Provocative actions

Jordan’s King Abdullah, who discussed the violence with Palestinian president

Mahmoud Abbas

, warned that Israel’s “provocative” actions could harm bilateral ties.

“If this continues, Jordan will have no choice but to take action,” he said, without elaborating.

Hamas said Israeli actions constituted a "declaration of war".

More than 20 Palestinians were lightly hurt in Tuesday’s clashes, along with five Israeli police officers.

Acting police chief Bentzi Sau ordered hundreds of extra police drafted to Jerusalem and said this came in response to concrete intelligence.

“Over the past three days we have seen attempts by a number of individuals who are trying to aggravate and exacerbate the security situation in Jerusalem, and destabilise the security and peaceful coexistence in the city,” he said.

“We are determined to prevent disturbances and will bring the perpetrators to justice.”

The Temple Mount, revered by Muslims as al-Haram ash-Sharif ,"the Noble Sanctuary", has been the focus of frequent clashes in the past.

Israel retains overall sovereignty of the sacred site, but the area is administered by the Islamic Wake, under an arrangement reached after Israel captured east Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War.