Caution: Children Ahead: The Illegal Behavior of the Police toward Minors in Silwan Suspected of Stone Throwing

This report reviews the arrests and detention of Palestinian minors in Silwan, East Jerusalem, over the period 1 November 2009 to 31 October 2010, and examines the extent to which the authorities’ handling of the cases of arrest and detention of minors under the age of criminal responsibility conforms to Israel’s Youth Law. The investigation carried out by the Israeli NGO B’Tselem indicates that the Jerusalem police repeatedly breached the law, and particularly the Youth Law, which grants minors extra rights in a criminal proceeding.The settlement clusters Israel has built in East Jerusalem and other neighborhoods create tension and lead to a reality of constant confrontation between the two populations. B’Tselem urges the Jerusalem Police to observe the letter and spirit of the Youth Law while coping with stone-throwing incidents in East Jerusalem.