Jerusalem – The Israeli government on Sunday called for new hard-line measures, including a proposal to strip Palestinian attackers of their residency rights, in response to a wave of deadly violence.
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The measures were billed as a deterrent, but critics view them as racist policies that could further escalate tensions.
Israel has vowed to respond harshly after a raid on a Jerusalem synagogue last week in which two east Jerusalem Palestinians killed five people with guns and meat cleavers. Israel has already resumed a controversial policy of demolishing Palestinian attackers’ homes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Sunday for a bill that would revoke residency rights for Palestinians involved in attacks against Israelis.
“It cannot be that those who harm Israel, those who call for the destruction of the state of Israel will enjoy rights like social security,” Netanyahu told his Cabinet, adding that the measure would “complement” the house demolitions.
Israel captured east Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally. While few of the city’s 300,000 Palestinians have taken citizenship, their residency grants them access to social services and freedom of movement.
The Cabinet was also discussing a bill that would recognize Israel’s Jewish character, institutionalize Jewish law as an inspiration for legislation, and delist Arabic as an official language.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for an Israeli mayor who suspended work by Arab laborers over the violence said they will resume building bomb shelters in kindergartens next week, but that children would be moved to other locations in the city of Ashkelon during the construction.
Israel has never done anything serious about terrorism other than tighter security. In the recent Gaza war, 5 Israelis were killed, same as in this tragedy. But the Gaza rockets brought a proper IDF response, while this is going to bring nothing.
Throwing oil on the fire is Bibi’s only response and it works as well as expected. He is not worthy to carry the bags of Golda Meir, Begin, Shamir or Rabin when it comes to leadership.
You call this tough new measures? In addition, those liberal fools worry about racism when Jewish lives are in jeopardy! They should also lose their citizenship and live in Gaza and then they might understand what real racism is all about if they don’t lose their heads first.