Loading ...Why It’s Absurd to Only Blame the Palestinians for Rising Violence
The tragic upsurge in violence in Israel and Palestine over the past two months, which began with the August murder of a Palestinian family by Jewish settlers, followed by clashes on the Temple Mount and Noble Sanctuary, and over the past several days by a spate of horrific attacks by Palestinians against Israeli civilians, has been accompanied by the usual accusations and counter-accusations from politicians and pundits. It’s worth examining these claims for a moment to see what they tell us about the current moment, and why it’s likely to recur as long as the occupation continues.
In a speech in the Israeli Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of lying about Israeli plans on the Temple Mount. “If the situation deteriorates as a result of this incitement,” he said, “you will bear responsibility.”
According to an assessment last week by the Israel Defense Forces intelligence directorate, however, Abbas has been taking responsibility—and fighting terror. The IDF also reported that, despite Abbas’ speech at the United Nations late last month threatening to withdraw from agreements with Israel, the close security cooperation between Palestinian and Israeli security forces in the West Bank has continued.
A subsequent report by Israel’s internal security services, the Shin Bet, reached the same conclusion: that although some Palestinian officials had engaged in inflammatory rhetoric, Abbas was not encouraging terrorism “and is even instructing his security forces to prevent terror attacks as much as possible.” (It’s important to note here that the majority of violent attacks by Palestinians have taken place in areas where the Palestinian Authority has no presence.)
Source: www.slate.com