A young Palestinian boy, barely nine or 10 years old, throws stones at people and at cars. Adele, only 3 years old, was critically injured from a stone thrown at the car she was in -- the car was not an armored vehicle. It is a well known fact that most Israeli children are injured when they are at home, falling asleep in the backseat of the family car, in the baby carriage or on the bus, as compared with the growing number of Palestinian children getting out of the house and taking part in terrorist activities. Is it a coincidence that these children are out there -- whether passively -- as a protective wall surrounding the armed masked militants, or actively -- throwing stones and Molotov cocktails? Of course not. It is not a tactic. Children on the front are strategic weapons. Terror organizations are aware of the norms of democratic countries in general and of Israel Defense Forces soldiers specifically: Do not hasten to shoot at a child. An Israeli soldier confessed not long ago about the trauma he suffered after shooting above the head of a Palestinian girl who ran in his direction during an arrest being carried out at a nearby house. The way she looked when she heard the shot stuck with him. The terrorists count on this kind of sensitivity. Moreover, children naturally looks less suspicious, so they can be used to transfer explosive devices, collect intelligence and to carry out terror attacks. In 2012, children were the weapons that left 19 people injured from stone throwing and Molotov cocktails, and another 12 from stabbing. In 2013, 34 people were injured by thrown stones and Molotov cocktails, and six by stabbing. The deaths from traffic accidents caused by thrown stones are hard to count. No small feat when one of your main goals is to disrupt the enemy's life. Some do it for the money that is sorely lacking at home, and some are charged with ideology of martyrdom that has been fed to them since birth in the media, the schools, the mosques and the value given to those who are prepared to die and to kill Jews. And we still have not spoken about the gains won by terror if these children are arrested, injured or killed and it is broadcast in the world media. Just look at the case of Muhammad al-Dura. The media will not let the facts get in the way of a good story. Terrorism profits when its children are on the front lines. To stop this murderous merry-go-round, the carrot and stick approach is necessary. The stick would be in the form of a new law that lowers the age for criminal responsibility to nine -- after all, what can you do -- a stone that hits one of our children in the head can still crack it open even if the stone thrower is "only" nine. This can also help calm the growing domestic criminal behavior in the school system, determining an appropriate punishment, ranging from being sent to a school for juvenile delinquents to community service, including caring for seniors and cleaning hospitals. And the carrot would be in the form of more educational and recreational infrastructure. Don't give up on widespread involvement in schools, on adding new activities -- many of them -- for youth with nothing to keep them busy in the afternoons. Maybe sports tournaments will interest them more than stone throwing. Scoring points. Palestinian terror will not like it.
Palestinian children as strategic weapons
מערכת ישראל היום
מערכת "ישראל היום“ מפיקה ומעדכנת תכנים חדשותיים, מבזקים ופרשנויות לאורך כל שעות היממה. התוכן נערך בקפדנות, נבדק עובדתית ומוגש לציבור מתוך האמונה שהקוראים ראויים לעיתונות טובה יותר - אמינה, אובייקטיבית ועניינית.
