Jerusalem (photo by Dr. Thiel)
News reports tell of more violence in Syria and Israel as well as the partitioning taking place. First notice something related to Syria:
Suicide Stabbings: A New Chapter in Palestinian Violence
The readiness of young Palestinians to attack, knowing they face a good chance of dying, has fundamentally changed the situation in Israel and the territories.
October 18, 2015
The five stabbing attacks by terrorists on Saturday, one in Jerusalem and four in the West Bank, support the conclusion that had been reached over recent days: In the third week of the current wave of violence, the end doesn’t appear to be on the horizon.
There have been increases and decreases in the daily number of incidents (although Thursday was the only day without a stabbing attack over the past 11 days). The size of the crowds at Palestinian demonstrations in the West Bank and on the Gaza Strip border has been on the decline for a number of days. And yet there are no signs that the escalation has been halted, or that it will happen in the near future.
Therefore, even if the heat of the confrontation is lower than during the first month of the two previous intifadas (which broke out in 1987 and 2000, respectively); even if the number of Palestinians taking part in the demonstrations and violent incidents is immeasurably smaller; even if the Palestinian laborers continue to leave the West Bank to work in Israel in almost normal fashion; and even if trade between the territories and Israel has not undergone a real change, it’s clear that a different situation is developing here. Its most prominent characteristic is the stabbing attacks – most, but not all, of which have been committed by residents of East Jerusalem.
The readiness of three, four or even five young Palestinians a day to attack, knives in hand, in the clear knowledge that they face a good chance of dying has fundamentally changed the situation in Israel and the territories. This is imposing an atmosphere of fear in the streets and on buses, and has required the diversion of police and military troops to the heart of cities and to areas where Arab and Jewish populations meet. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.680917
October 18, 2015
On Sunday evening, an Arab assailant shot at people in Beersheba’s central bus station, killing one Israeli soldier and wounding 10 police and civilians, according to The Associated Press. The man walked in with a knife and gun and started “shooting and stabbing people.” Security then killed him.
An Eritrean man with no connection to the alleged assailant was mistakenly shot by security personnel and beaten up by a mob, the Jerusalem Post said. Israelis congregated outside of the bus station Sunday night, chanting “death to Arabs.”
While most incidents in the past few days have been directed at members of Israeli police and border patrol, this shooting occurred in a crowded space, placing a higher number of people at risk.
These incidents bring up the death toll from street violence to more than 40 Palestinians and eight Israelis in recent weeks.
Social media played a major role in the stabbing streak
Unlike past outbreaks of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, this recent uptick has been driven by knife attacks. The perpetrators are described as leaderless young people fueled by social media — the term “knife intifada” has even appeared online.
“You don’t need something sophisticated. We’re talking about 15-year-old boys,” Orit Perlov, an analyst of Arab social media at the Institute for National Security Studies, told The New York Times. “You just write the word ‘it’an,’ stab in Arabic, and then whoever has a knife in his house and wants to go, that’s it.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jerusalem-west-bank-stabbing_5623b621e4b02f6a900ca4d7
Many Palestinians are depressed, distraught, and feel that they are without hope. Because of improper Islamic teachings, many believe that engaging in this type of suicidal behavior will not only free them from problems in this life, but give them an opportunity to fulfill various lusts in the next (e.g. see Suicide bombers kill scores in Turkey–their hope for reward is flawed)–but that is a false hope.
Various Palestinians have celebrated the stabbings and indicated that they are the right course of action: ...
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