Israel Eases Curb on Using Plastic Bullets : Allows Troops to Fire at Protesters Burning Tires, Blocking Roads

Israel today authorized troops to fire plastic bullets at Palestinians burning tires and blocking roads and ordered all 1,200 schools in the West Bank shut indefinitely because of unrest.

Palestinians, meanwhile, rejected peace proposals by Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the man behind Israel’s “iron fist” clampdown, and members of Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir’s right-wing Likud Party also criticized him.

Rabin had called Thursday for a period of calm to prepare for elections in the occupied territories, leading to autonomy followed by a confederation between the West Bank and either Israel or Jordan.

A senior defense source said the new easing of firing orders meant that noncommissioned officers could use plastic bullets to shoot stone-throwers, fleeing protesters and anyone blocking roads.

An army spokeswoman said: “Because of severe disturbances in the latest period, in which (Arab) school students from (the West Bank) were active, the military government has ordered the closure of all schools . . . until an appropriate atmosphere for studying is created.”

Rabin’s get-tough policy, which also allows troops to demolish the homes and close the stores of stone-throwers, has led to record numbers of Arab casualties in the occupied territories.

Palestinians rejected Rabin’s peace proposals as an attempt to bypass the PLO and the creation of a Palestinian state.

“The proposal is not accepted by us. We don’t accept elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip because we have got our leadership--the PLO--and we want to tell Mr. Rabin that he should not close his eyes,” said Hilmi Hanoun, the veteran mayor of Tulkarem.

“He knows very well we have a leadership for the Palestinians. If they want real peace, they know where they should go,” he added.