Families of Israeli Arabs shot dead on a bus in Galilee are not considered terrorism victims because their killer was Jewish, the defence ministry says.
Under Israeli law, only attacks by "enemies of Israel" are considered terrorism, the ministry said.
The ruling means families of the four victims will not be entitled to the lifelong monthly payments given to Israeli victims of Palestinian attacks.
To Ariel Sharon's credit, his office has demanded the law be reviewed.
The Prime Minister's Office demanded on Wednesday that Attorney General Menachem Mazuz review the issue of recognizing those injured in attacks by Jewish terrorists as terror victims.
In a similar move, MK Mohammed Barakeh (Hadash-Ta'al) submitted to the Knesset Tuesday an amendment to the law governing compensation for terror victims that would entitle Arab Israeli families hurt by Jewish terror to money from the state.
Barakeh's ammendment will recognize as victims of terror anyone hurt from "hostile activities by a terror organization," and not just those hurt by "organizations hostile to Israel."
If the law is amended, it could have very interesting implications for Arab victims of Jewish settler violence in East Jerusalem, which is a regular occurrence.
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