Jerusalem. Photo: Berthold Werner.

JNS.org – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday approved a plan introduced by Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch for the formation of a new police unit dedicated to dealing with the civil and security unrest in Jerusalem.

The plan calls for legislative changes that will allow law enforcement to better deal with children and teenagers who stone vehicles and railway cars traveling through the capital, especially in the city’s eastern Arab neighborhoods. The Jerusalem Light Rail has come under numerous stoning attacks over the past few months, resulting in significant damage to its operations.

Israel Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino said Tuesday that the new unit will have advanced intelligence and technological capabilities that will allow its officers to better deal with rioters.

“The unrest experienced in Jerusalem, our capital, is always a top priority,” Danino said, according to Israel Hayom. “We cannot ignore riots, stone-throwing, or the hurling of Molotov cocktails and firecrackers prevalent on the Temple Mount and in other areas of the city. These are serious incidents and they must be treated as such.”