West Bank rabbis: Allow live fire at stone throwers
In letter to Netanyahu, Barak, Rabbi Dov Lior, 2 others says Jewish law permits one to protect oneself by all means available.
By JEREMY SHARONRamallah Rock Throwing 311(photo credit: Mohamad Torokman/Reuters)
Three senior religious-Zionist rabbis sent a letter on Tuesday to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, requesting that the IDF change its rules of engagement toward stone throwers participating in riots in the West Bank.Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Arba and Hebron Dov Lior; Chief Rabbi of the Samaria region Rabbi Elyakim Levanin; and Rabbi Eliezer Nahum Rabinovitch, head of the Birkat Moshe yeshiva in Ma’aleh Adumim stated in their letter that according to Jewish law, and all law, it is permitted to protect oneself by all means available.RELATED:IDF probes tragic shooting that killed West Bank Rabbi
“Anyone who faces a danger to their life, including being pelted by stones or other dangers, must be allowed to open fire against the attackers without having to worry about being tried or having their weapon confiscated,” the letter read.The rabbis in their letter also requested that the rules of engagement be relaxed for those in settlement security authorities to fire upon hostile elements who have broken into a settlement and that weapons should be provided to the settlements for their defense.The letter was sent on behalf of the Center for Instruction in Public Affairs, headed by Lior. Another recent letter sent by the organization to the government requested that the death penalty be instituted for terrorists responsible for the death of women and children.Capital punishment is necessary for such people, the letter argues, because of the increasing price demanded by an “inhumane” enemy to fulfill the biblical commandment of redeeming captives.
