Palestinian stone-throwing
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Palestinian stone-throwing is a Palestinian political tactic or action in which rocks are hurled at Israeli civilians or security forces, or at the vehicles in which they are riding. Conceptualizations According to journalist Jodi Rudoren, many Palestinians see stone-throwing as, "a rite of passage and an honored act of defiance". Amira Hass has defended Palestinian stone-throwing as the, "birthright and duty of anyone subject to foreign rule", and as "a metaphor of resistance". Marouf Hasian and Lisa A. Flores have the interpreted stone-throwing that took place during the First Intifada as a means of creating a collective identity, a historical tradition, and - ultimately - a Palestinian nation. Gene Sharp classifies stone-throwing as a form of "limited violence", writing that, "Palestinians see the stones as a way of expressing their defiance and rage", but, in Sharp's opinion, the tactic is "counterproductive" because Israelis "almost never see a stone thrown at them as a relatively nonviolent (form of) expression". Deaths and casualties On 29 January 1983 Esther Ohana was killed when a stone crashed through her car window, smashing into her head. On 24 February 1989 Staff Sargent Benny Meisner (25) was killed while on patrol by a concrete block thrown at him in Nablus. In June 2005, a stone thrown by a Palestinian protester in Bil'in hit an Israeli soldier, causing him to lose an eye. On 23 September 2011, Asher and Yonatan Palmer were killed when the car Asher was driving was attacked by stone-throwing Palestinians, causing it to crash killing him along with his infant son. Legal status In November 2014, the Israeli Cabinet approved a bill that will, if passed, increase the legal penalties for stone-throwing.
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