'Violent activists to be declared terrorists'

Ministers Neeman, Aharonovitch suggest ways to address recent attacks; 6 arrested in clash between police, right-wing activists.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Palestinian vehicle set on fire price tag 311 (photo credit: Courtesy of Attaf Abu-Rov, B'Tselem)
Palestinian vehicle set on fire price tag 311
(photo credit: Courtesy of Attaf Abu-Rov, B'Tselem)
Violent right-wing groups should declared as terrorist organizations, said Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch  during Wednesday's emergency meeting called by Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu.
The morning's meeting, held by Aharonovitch and Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman was attended by representatives of the IDF, the Shin Bet, and the Attorney General. The goal of the meeting was to formulate a list of recommendations to address the recent right-wing escalations, to be submitted to the prime minister.
Among the recommendations agreed upon in the meeting, was a suggestion to map the right-wing organizations and to declare the violent groups as terrorist organizations.
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The team that convened to examine the issue recommended that Netanyahu increase the use of restraining orders from the West Bank and to use them is a much more intensive manner.
"We have to decide on a series of quick and sharp steps to quickly address a dangerous phenomenon in which a small group affects us all," said Aharonovitch.
MK Uri Ariel (National Union) responded to the suggestion saying, "there is no such organization as 'hill-top youth', and any attempt to define an amorphous group as a terrorist organization will result in repeated attacks."
"Instead of looking for all kinds of titles that are unconnected to reality, the Public Security Minister would do better to strengthen law enforcement, to find the guilty, and to bring them to justice as fast as possible," said Ariel.
At the same time, violent clashes erupted in Jerusalem between right-wing activists and police forces in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood in Jerusalem.
Clashes broke out after police arrived at the apartment of right-wing activists who were expelled from the West Bank by security forces.
After police arrested three activists violence flared between yeshiva students and police forces, during which right-wing activists punctured the tires of police cars.
Earlier Wednesday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the legal possibility of classifying the "hilltop youth" group of young radical settlers as a terrorist group should be considered. "As far as their behavior is concerned, there is no doubt that we are talking about terrorists," he said.