Netanyahu vows harsher measures against Palestinian riots

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his government will not tolerate "riots" in Israeli cities, following clashes in northern Israel between Palestinians and Israeli police after the killing of an Arab man.

"We will take determined action against those who throw stones, firebombs and fireworks, and block roads, and against demonstrations that call for our destruction," Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting.

”Whoever violates the law will be punished severely."

He added that Israeli forces will no longer tolerate demonstrations "in the heart" of Israel in which protesters raise flags of Palestinian Hamas resistance movement or the Islamic State militant group.

"I have instructed the Interior Minister to use all means, including evaluating the possibility of revoking the citizenship of those who call for the destruction of the state of Israel," Netanyahu said.

Northern Israeli Kafr Kanna town has seen confrontations again between Israeli police and Palestinians, angered by the killing of an Arab man by Israeli police after he allegedly tried to attack Israeli policemen with a knife. The police said that they fired in self-defence but CCTV footage of the incident seemingly showed that they were never in immediate danger and failed to fire warning shots before shooting 22-year-old Khair al-Din Hemdan in the chest.

On Saturday, some 2,500 Palestinian Israeli protestors marched in Kafr Kanna to protest Hemdan's killing, according to figures by the Israeli police. Clashes quickly broke out, with police arresting at least three youths.

Some 300 people also showed up on Sunday, with clashes going on into the evening. 

Palestinian Israelis are currently holding a two-day general strike, which saw scores of shops and businesses close today in Arab-dominated villages and neighbourhoods throughout Israel.

Arabs, mostly Palestinians, who live within Israel and hold the Israeli nationality comprise nearly 21 percent of Israel's population of 8 million, according to a 2013 report by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics.

As a reaction to the recent events, an Israeli government committee is considering a bill that aims to strip any lawmaker from their Knesset seat if they showed support for armed action against Israel, Israeli media reported.

Israel's Channel 10 said that the Ministerial Committee for Legislation will discuss on Sunday proposed amendments to the Knesset laws to terminate the parliamentary membership of any deputy who expresses support for armed action against Israel.

According to the report, the bill, tabled by David Rotem of the Yisrael Beytenu party, is expected to target Palestinian Knesset member Hanin Zoabi who has allegedly made remarks supportive of armed Palestinian action against Israel.

In July, Zoabi was suspended from the Knesset for six months against for comments made over the kidnapping of three Israeli settlers who went missing on a southern occupied West Bank settlement in June.  

The Knesset's Ethics Committee decided to suspend Zoabi telling Israel Radio that the kidnappers of the settlers were not "terrorists." The trio were found dead later after a few days.

Zoabi also participated in the Freedom Flotilla aboard the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, which in 2010 had attempted to break the years-long Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla, however, and killed nine Turkish activists aboard.

Meanwhile, Israeli Environment Minister Amir Peretz announced his resignation on Sunday in protest over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies, Israeli public radio reported.

Peretz informed Justice Minister Tzipi Livni of his decision to resign in protest of Netanyahu's political and economic policies, the report said.

Livni, who also leads Peretz's leftist-leaning Hatnuah Party, reportedly said that she respected his decision and that she will continue to cooperate with him within the party.

Peretz has been increasingly critical of Netanyahu's policies, particularly towards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He strongly criticized Netanyahu's decisions throughout this summer's offensive on the Gaza Strip, in which over 2,160 Palestinians – mostly civilians – were killed.

"Over the last few months we have experienced an earthquake in every [realm] – diplomatic, social and economic, and the prime minister, instead of navigating and finding solutions, is only looking to place blames," Peretz said during an Israeli cabinet meeting Sunday, according to Israel's daily Haaretz.

Peretz is the second minister in Netanyahu's government to resign this month. Earlier in November, interior minister Gideon Sa'ar handed his resignation citing personal reasons, amid rumours that he also had been unsatisfied with Netanyahu's policies.