The difficult events on Sunday in the West Bank – the attack in which Hallel and Yagel Yaniv were murdered and the subsequent riot by settlers in Huwara – are another sign of the approaching danger of a major flare-up in the territories. They also indicate a loss of control, on the one hand by the crumbling Palestinian Authority, and on the other hand by the Israeli government, with some of its members working openly to weaken restraining factors.
The attack south of Nablus indicates that the frequent arrests, many of which end with a large number of Palestinian fatalities, are unable to deter and disrupt terrorist activity by individuals or small groups; such activity has already cost the lives of 13 Israelis in the past month. The disintegration of the PA, encouraged by Israeli policy that disregards the PA, strengthens Hamas in Gaza, and rejects any political negotiations, actually nullifies security cooperation and encourages violent groups to act.
The settler riot has a direct connection to the current government policy. Ministers spoke out against the meeting in Aqaba intended to calm the area while it was underway, and issued messages in support of the rioters. Dismantling control on the ground and transferring powers to two non-defense ministers, who are responsible for the administration of daily life in the territories (Minister Smotrich, in accordance with an agreement signed between him and the Defense Minister) and authority regarding the Border Police (Minister Ben-Gvir, according to the coalition agreement), has conveyed to the anarchists among the settlers that “the government is with us.”
The month of Ramadan is approaching. The enemies of Israel witness how the current government’s actions tear society apart and undermine governmental institutions, and the counterreactions threaten to crumble the IDF. So far, there is no sign the Prime Minister intends to stop, take the bull by its horns, and deal with the extremists within his own government. If there is no change in all of these, a major conflagration in the West Bank – and not just there – seems inevitable.
The difficult events on Sunday in the West Bank – the attack in which Hallel and Yagel Yaniv were murdered and the subsequent riot by settlers in Huwara – are another sign of the approaching danger of a major flare-up in the territories. They also indicate a loss of control, on the one hand by the crumbling Palestinian Authority, and on the other hand by the Israeli government, with some of its members working openly to weaken restraining factors.
The attack south of Nablus indicates that the frequent arrests, many of which end with a large number of Palestinian fatalities, are unable to deter and disrupt terrorist activity by individuals or small groups; such activity has already cost the lives of 13 Israelis in the past month. The disintegration of the PA, encouraged by Israeli policy that disregards the PA, strengthens Hamas in Gaza, and rejects any political negotiations, actually nullifies security cooperation and encourages violent groups to act.
The settler riot has a direct connection to the current government policy. Ministers spoke out against the meeting in Aqaba intended to calm the area while it was underway, and issued messages in support of the rioters. Dismantling control on the ground and transferring powers to two non-defense ministers, who are responsible for the administration of daily life in the territories (Minister Smotrich, in accordance with an agreement signed between him and the Defense Minister) and authority regarding the Border Police (Minister Ben-Gvir, according to the coalition agreement), has conveyed to the anarchists among the settlers that “the government is with us.”
The month of Ramadan is approaching. The enemies of Israel witness how the current government’s actions tear society apart and undermine governmental institutions, and the counterreactions threaten to crumble the IDF. So far, there is no sign the Prime Minister intends to stop, take the bull by its horns, and deal with the extremists within his own government. If there is no change in all of these, a major conflagration in the West Bank – and not just there – seems inevitable.