Is Israel witnessing the dawn of a third intifada? With Palestinian shootings and knife attacks on Israelis occurring with frightening frequency recently, it’s a fair question, with potentially disturbing answers.
The brazen murder of Rabbi Eitam and Na’ama Henkin, gunned down in their car in front of their children in the West Bank last week, was perhaps the most sickening attack. Rather than condemn the killings that left four children orphaned, throngs of Palestinians celebrated in the streets, according to media reports.
Thankfully, Israeli security forces have arrested members of the Hamas terror cell believed responsible for the murders.
Since then, two more Israelis have died and several have been injured in random knife and car attacks across the country. Palestinians have been killed and injured, too, as Israeli police struggle to maintain order. There is no reason to think this spasm of mayhem will end soon.
But is it a true intifada? The jury is still out. We have not seen the mass demonstrations that typically accompanied intifadas past, nor have we seen the sort of well-planned suicide bombings that made life hell for Israelis during the previous two periods of concentrated anti-Israel violence.
In fact, despite blatant, unforgiveable incitement by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and terror groups such as Hamas, an assessment by the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Directorate suggests that PA security forces have worked to quash a popular uprising and continue to coordinate with Israeli counterparts.
That makes sense. The Palestinians have a lot to lose should their towns and cities become quasi-war zones once again. Economic gains, autonomous rule, bustling civil society — all could be set way back should Israeli troops be forced to return en masse to the West Bank.
That said, we cannot help but ask: Why the nonchalant global reaction to this spate of attacks on innocent Israeli civilians? It’s as if the world feels that Israelis, especially residents in West Bank settlements, have it coming.
By all means, let the world debate the settlement issue, but can we please agree that murdering young parents before the eyes of their children is intolerable?
To echo the meme going around social media this week, Israeli Lives Matter, too.
We urge all parties to continue doing their utmost to reduce tensions. As bad as the situation is now, a third intifada would bring disaster to Israelis and Palestinians alike.