Israeli-Palestinian relations rapidly deteriorated last week following a series of violent events that erupted in the West Bank city of Jenin and in East Jerusalem. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government made one of its first major moves last Thursday when Israeli security forces conducted a raid on the West Bank city of Jenin, killing 7 gunmen and 2 civilians. According to Philip Luther at Amnesty International, “[f]or almost a year, Jenin refugee camp has been at the center of Israel’s escalating military crackdown. Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead in the camp last May, and its residents continue to be subjected to relentless military raids which amount to collective punishment.”
The situation further escalated the next day when a 21 year-old Palestinian gunman retaliated, killing seven people and wounding three others outside a synagogue in occupied East Jerusalem. According to police, the gunman acted alone, although his actions were praised by both Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The morning after the attack, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy wounded 2 people in an additional East Jerusalem attack.
On Saturday, Netanyahu pledged a “strong, swift and precise” response to the terror attacks. The prime minister’s far-right Israeli Minister for National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir also called for more firearms in the hands of Israeli civilians, tweeting late Saturday evening: “weapons for more civilians is a quick and lethal response against terrorism.” Givir is also actively pushing to legalize capital punishment for terrorists, tweeting: “I will soon bring the death penalty law for terrorists to the Knesset [Israeli legislature] and I hope we will pass it with a large majority.”
Late Saturday night, the Israeli cabinet approved provisions to arm Israeli civilians by expediting weapons permits. Netanyahu also announced plans to cut social security benefits to the attacker’s family. Israeli police have since sealed the family’s home ahead of plans to demolish the building. Netanyahu’s coalition government is clearly not interested in de-escalation and is bent on an iron fist response. Arming civilians is an act of escalation, plain and simple. I fully expect we will witness a sharp increase in violence in the coming weeks as Palestinians rally together and Israel cracks down.
The unchallenged punitive actions of Netanyahu’s government have been condemned by leading human rights organizations and world leaders alike. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres condemned the cycle of violence, urging that “[t]his is the moment to exercise utmost restraint.” The European Union has called for de-escalation and Russia’s Foreign Ministry has advocated “maximum restraint” on both sides. President Biden seems to have sided with Israel. Biden made a phone-call to Netanyahu on Saturday, wherein he “stressed the ironclad US commitment to Israel’s security.” The Whitehouse announced that “[t]he United States will extend [its] full support to the Government and people of Israel.” The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Monday for a scheduled visit. Blinken emphasized the need for a two-state solution, calling it the “only way” forward for the two sides. Despite these well-intended words, the US has historically backed Israel almost exclusively and has done little to help the Palestinians form their own state. I suspect Blinken’s visit, along with President Biden’s support, will serve to inflame tensions rather than de-escalate the state of affairs on the ground.
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