NGOs, rights group accuse Israel of encouraging ‘Shoot-to-Kill’ Policy

Human rights groups and NGOs have accused Israel of supporting a shoot-to-kill policy after several recent Israeli police incidents with Palestinians.

A Jerusalem court on Sunday arraigned a border policeman after he shot and killed a Palestinian during a demonstration in the West Bank in May. Many argue that the manslaughter charge was not strong enough; furthermore, Israeli Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch’s comments that “a terrorist who strikes civilians should be killed” indicate that a more substantial investigation on the issue will not take place.

“Aharonovitch’s statement and its application on the ground show that the authorities simply want these incidents to end ¬- with the terrorist killed at the scene rather than brought into the justice system” Carolina Landsmann wrote in the Haaretz.

Earlier in the month, Israeli police shot and killed 22-year-old Arab Israeli Kheir Hamdan during a demonstration, claiming that he charged at them with a knife. CCTV footage showed Hamdan banging on a police van before turning away, only after which a police officer shot him in the back.

“According to the law… when the danger is real, immediate and threatens the life of a police officer or innocent people, he can shoot. It’s kill or be killed”, Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri told AFP.

International rights group Amnesty International has said that it has “strong suspicions” about a policy of “deliberate killings” even though “the authorities have the absolute duty to ensure that their forces comply with the law”.

Aside from the latest attacks, the number of shootings in West Bank has risen significantly, Amnesty International’s Saleh Hijazi said.

“In dealing with the Palestinians, (police and soldiers) use excessive force”, he said.

Rights groups argue that Aharonovitch’s comments have fueled the attitudes of those on the field.

Israeli rights group B’Tselem said it was “extremely disturbed” by Aharonovitch’s remarks, which it called “provocative” and said encouraged “execution without trial”. Israeli rights group ACRI said the expectation that “police officers will act as jury, judge and executioner is improper and unacceptable”.