Security cabinet approves ramping up anti-terror measures
Ministers approve completion of Jerusalem-area fence, steps to curb illegal Palestinian entry and incitement
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
Two days after three brutal Palestinian terror attacks on Israelis with 24 hours, the security cabinet on Thursday approved immediate work to seal off gaps in the security fence in the Jerusalem area and to complete construction of the barrier in the area of Tarkumiya, south of the Hebron Hills.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior ministers received updates on the implementation of further measures in the campaign against terror, his office said in a statement.
Among the steps on the agenda were fast-tracking legislation to crackdown on those employing or assisting Palestinians who illegally enter Israel from the West Bank, shutting down Palestinian media channels which broadcast incitement for terror against Israelis, expanding prosecution against those who incite, the cancellation of work and trade permits held by family members and close acquaintances of terrorists, as well as cutting down the time it takes to demolish the homes of terrorists.
The measures were first proposed and agreed on during an emergency meeting of top security officials called by Netanyahu on Tuesday night in the wake of the three bloody attacks in Jerusalem, Petah Tikva, and Jaffa that killed an American tourist and wounded dozens more.
Two of the three Palestinians who carried out the attacks did not have permits to be Israel. The third was an East Jerusalem resident. All three attackers were killed.
Netanyahu called the late-night emergency security meeting at his Jerusalem bureau following the attacks, bringing in Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, and Israel Police Commander Roni Alsheich, as well as representatives of the IDF and Shin Bet domestic security service.
In all, twenty-nine Israelis and four foreign nationals have been killed in a wave of Palestinian terrorism and violence since October. Some 180 Palestinians have also been killed, around two-thirds of them while attacking Israelis, and the rest during clashes with troops, according to the Israeli army.
