4 Palestinian teens indicted for throwing stones in Jerusalem

Four Palestinian youths were indicted Sunday for throwing stones in Jerusalem over the Jewish New Year holiday.

The four — two youths 18 and 19 years of age, and two minors, 16 and 14 — are residents of various parts of East Jerusalem.

They were charged with throwing stones, disorderly conduct and aggravated assault of police officers after taking part in riots across the capital on the eve of Rosh Hashanah last week.

On Sunday, the Israel Police said they had arrested 39 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem for “disturbing the peace,” “taking part in riots” and “throwing stones and Molotov cocktails.”

Israel has vowed to crack down on Palestinians hurling stones and firebombs in Jerusalem and across the West Bank after a week of violence in the capital and on the Temple Mount which began last Sunday when police — acting on information from the Shin Bet security service — raided the compound and found pipe bombs and other improvised weapons, apparently prepared in advance for an organized riot.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to seek harsher penalties and mandatory minimum sentences for those convicted of throwing rocks and firebombs, and fines for parents of minors found to have committed the acts.

Netanyahu is also set to officially approve a police proposal for new measures to combat Palestinian rock throwing and firebombing in and around Jerusalem, including the use of live fire in certain circumstances when civilian lives are in danger.

The police proposal was approved by the Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein.

So far, police have used rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons and other non-lethal measures to quell riots in Jerusalem or to combat incidents where Palestinians throw rocks at Israeli forces, pedestrians, or cars.

Over the weekend, three Border Police officers were injured when a Molotov cocktail was hurled at their vehicle in Jabel Mukaber in East Jerusalem.

Netanyahu had convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday over the escalating violence on the Temple Mount and rock-throwing attacks across the capital including one that led to a fatal car crash on Sunday night, killing the driver, Alexander Levlovitz.