What wrong did Palestinian kids do?

The fact that the law will allow the authorities to broaden its scope so much so that it can be misused, even deter the Palestinians from joining any protests against the Israeli occupation forces

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Published: Tue 9 Aug 2016, 1:32 PM

Last updated: Tue 9 Aug 2016, 9:39 PM

Israel's recent approval of draconian law that allows the imprisonment of children as young as 12 convicted of militant offences is aimed at Palestinians. The 'Youth Bill' will "allow the authorities to imprison a minor convicted of serious crimes such as murder, attempted murder or manslaughter even if he or she is under the age of 14, passed its second and third readings", according to the Knesset statement. The law has been criticised by several rights groups, including Israel's B'Tselem. It stated that the Jewish state should send them to school rather than sending them to prison so that they "could grow up in dignity and freedom, not under occupation". Israeli occupation and treatment of Palestinians are taking a toll on the minds of the children leading to unrest in occupied territories. Violence in the Palestinians territories and Israel has killed at least 208 Palestinians, and 34 Israelis and most of the Palestinian victims are youth.
The fact that the law will allow the authorities to broaden its scope so much so that it can be misused, even deter the Palestinians from joining any protests against the Israeli occupation forces. There are at least 414 Palestinian children in Israeli jails. That itself tells the sordid saga of the Israeli crackdown on protest against its occupation. There is no doubt that the Jewish state is violating international law if the passage of the Youth Bill is any indication. It's not that the children were not being subjected to such high-handedness before the passage of this law. Israel arrested 12-year-old Palestinian Dima Al Wawi in school uniform last February, the youngest female detained by the Jewish state for an alleged stabbing attack. Though she was released in April after being jailed for two months, it tells us about the dirty acts of intimidation against Palestinians. Tel Aviv needs to stop its iron-handed tactics that do not have any justification in today's free world.


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