Bill would cut child allowances to families of rock-throwing minors

According to the bill, families will automatically only receive half of the child allowances for which they qualify if any of their children are convicted of a nationalist crime.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Youth holds stone as Palestinians clash with IDF in the West Bank (photo credit: REUTERS)
Youth holds stone as Palestinians clash with IDF in the West Bank
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Families of children who throw rocks will receive reduced child allowances if a new bill by MK Motti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi) passes.
Yogev's proposal, which he submitted Monday, came in response to ongoing violence in Jerusalem, which included many incidents of Arab minors throwing rocks at Jewish passers-by.
According to the bill, families will automatically only receive half of the child allowances for which they qualify if any of their children are convicted of a nationalist crime.
"These children want to harm the country that is paying his or her parents a monthly allowance to help them raise and educate him or her," Yogev said.
According to Yogev, "the legal reality today allows the parents of a child convicted of a crime be fined, but this tool is not used in most cases. This leaves the legal system without significant tools to deter minors from committing crimes."
The legislation is based on an existing law that reduces the National Insurance benefits of anyone who is convicted of harming national security.
"It cannot be that a parent, whose children endanger national security and human lives, will receive benefits from the state," Yogev stated. "This is another deterrent for the good of Arabs and Jews, to bring back the quiet and security to united Jerusalem, the capital of Israel."
Lawmakers from Yisrael Beytenu, Hatnua, Likud and Shas co-sponsored Yogev's bill.