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Israel’s Netanyahu Vows ‘Harsh Offensive’ in Response to Wave of Violence Israel’s Netanyahu Vows ‘Harsh Offensive’ in Response to Wave of Violence
(about 7 hours later)
JERUSALEM — Under heavy domestic pressure from critics on both the right and left, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel threatened on Sunday to wage a “harsh offensive against Palestinian Islamic terrorism” as he arrived back to a country battered by a wave of deadly violence. JERUSALEM — Under heavy domestic pressure from critics on the right and the left, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel threatened on Sunday to wage a “harsh offensive against Palestinian Islamic terrorism” as he returned to a country battered by a wave of deadly violence.
“We are in an all-out war against terrorism and we will wage it aggressively,” Mr. Netanyahu wrote in a Facebook post as he was on his way back from New York, where he spoke last week at the United Nations. He said he was heading straight from the airport to a meeting with his top security officials. “We are in an all-out war against terrorism and we will wage it aggressively,” Mr. Netanyahu wrote in a Facebook post as he was on his way back from New York, where he spoke last week at the United Nations. He headed straight from the airport to a meeting with his top security officials.
But returning to a country in a grim mood on the eve of a Jewish holiday that was meant to bring a festive end of the High Holy Days, Mr. Netanyahu faced a predicament. As Israelis debated whether the string of recent attacks by Palestinians, which appeared to lack any orchestrating group, amounted to a third intifada, or uprising, Israeli political analysts said that Mr. Netanyahu would have to calibrate his response so that it would be effective without leading to further escalation. In a brief televised statement after the meeting, he announced a series of measures, including the “speeding up of the process for the demolition of the homes of terrorists.”
“A very harsh response can get out of hand,” said Shlomo Avineri, a professor of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Mr. Netanyahu, who was elected to a third consecutive term this year, has built his career on a reputation for countering terrorism. But returning to a country in a grim mood on the eve of a Jewish holiday that was meant to bring a festive end to the High Holy Days, Mr. Netanyahu faced a predicament. As Israelis debated whether the recent string of attacks by Palestinians, which appeared to lack any orchestrating group, amounted to a third intifada, or uprising, Israeli political analysts said that he would have to calibrate his response so it would be effective but not spur further escalation.
“The rhetoric was always great,” Professor Avineri said. “The question is how to translate it.” “A very harsh response can get out of hand,” said Shlomo Avineri, a professor of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Mr. Netanyahu and others in his rightist government have accused President Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority of inciting violence and giving tacit support to terrorism, not least by failing to promptly condemn the gun and knife attacks that claimed the lives of four Israelis in the West Bank and the Old City of Jerusalem over the last few days. Mr. Netanyahu, who was elected to a third consecutive term this year, has built his career on a reputation for countering terrorism. “The rhetoric was always great,” Mr. Avineri said. “The question is how to translate it.”
Violence struck again at around 4 a.m. on Sunday when a Palestinian from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya stabbed and wounded a 15-year-old Jewish boy on a road outside the Old City, according to the police. The Palestinian, identified as Fadi Alon, 21, was fatally shot by police officers. Video footage showed Mr. Alon being shot apparently as he was trying to flee, with Israeli civilians in pursuit and shouting “Shoot him!” as the police arrived. Mr. Netanyahu and others in his rightist government have accused President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority he leads of inciting violence and giving tacit support to terrorism, not least by failing to promptly condemn the gun and knife attacks that have claimed the lives of four Israelis in the West Bank and the Old City of Jerusalem over the last few days.
In a rare crackdown, the Israeli authorities took the unusual measure of barring most of Jerusalem’s Palestinian residents from entering the Old City for two days. Only Israeli citizens, tourists and Palestinians who hold Israeli citizenship, or live, work or study in the Old City were given access, as well as Palestinians going to worship at Al Aqsa Mosque — though men under the age of 50 were also temporarily banned from praying there. Violence struck again around 4 a.m. on Sunday when a Palestinian man from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya stabbed and wounded a 15-year-old Jewish boy on a road outside the Old City, according to the police. The man, identified as Fadi Alon, 21, was fatally shot by police officers, the third Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in less than two weeks.
The latest violence comes after weeks of escalating tensions and confrontations around the contested Old City compound that houses the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, Palestinian leaders including Mr. Abbas have accused Israel of plotting to divide the site, a charge that Mr. Netanyahu has repeatedly denied. A video clip showed Mr. Alon being shot, apparently as he was trying to flee, with Israeli civilians in pursuit and shouting “Shoot him!” as the police arrived.
Two Israeli men stabbed to death by a Palestinian teenager in the Old City on Saturday night were buried in Jerusalem on Sunday. One, Rabbi Aharon Bennett, 21, from the ultra-Orthodox settlement of Beitar Illit in the West Bank, was an army private. His wife and toddler were wounded in the attack. The other, Rabbi Nehemia Lavi, was a resident of the Old City. Hearing the commotion in the alley below his apartment, he had gone outside to try to help the Bennett family, according to the authorities and his relatives. In a rare crackdown, the Israeli authorities took the unusual measure of barring most of Jerusalem’s Palestinian residents from entering the Old City for two days. Only Israeli citizens, tourists and Palestinians who hold Israeli citizenship or live, work or study in the Old City were given access, along with Palestinians going to worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque. But men under 50 were temporarily banned from praying there.
Hundreds of blue-clad Israeli police officers, and more heavily armed border guards in khaki uniforms, stood sentry at new barricades outside the Old City’s gates and patrolled its alleyways checking identification cards. The usually crammed Muslim quarter was eerily quiet; most shops were closed in a strike to protest the restrictions. At one point, officers tackled a young man near where the attacks occurred, ordering friends who rushed to his defense to “get back” and then telling them all to “get out of here.” The latest violence comes after weeks of escalating tensions and confrontations around the contested Old City compound that houses Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Palestinian leaders, including Mr. Abbas, have accused Israel of plotting to divide the site, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.
Other youths gathered around as a man scrubbed blood he said was from the previous night’s violence off the floor of his shop. Mr. Netanyahu has repeatedly denied the allegations.
In all, about 3,500 Israeli police officers fanned out across Jerusalem. In Issawiya, a frequent site of tension and violence, clashes broke out between local residents and the police. “We cannot even leave by foot; the area is under complete military closure,” a resident, Muhammad Dari, said by telephone. Funerals were held Sunday for two Israeli men who were stabbed to death by a Palestinian teenager in the Old City on Saturday night. One, Rabbi Aharon Bennett, 21, from the ultra-Orthodox settlement of Beitar Illit in the West Bank, was an Army private. His wife and toddler were wounded in the attack.
Clashes also broke out between Israeli security forces and Palestinians in several locations around the West Bank, including familiar friction points like Hebron. Montaser Abu Hajia, a resident of the Jenin refugee camp, said that more than two dozen Palestinians had been injured by Israeli forces when clashes broke out there during a pre-dawn raid by the military. The other, Rabbi Nehemia Lavi, was a resident of the Old City. Hearing the commotion in the alley below his apartment, he had gone outside to try to help the Bennetts, according to the authorities and his relatives.
Yisrael Katz, Israel’s minister of transportation, said the Israeli response to the upsurge in attacks could soon echo Operation Defensive Shield, the intense 2002 military campaign at the height of the second intifada. Then, Israeli forces reinvaded the Palestinian cities of the West Bank and imposed strict limitations on Palestinian movement in an effort to curb Palestinian suicide bombings in Israeli cities. Hundreds of Israeli police officers in blue uniforms, and the more heavily armed border guards in khaki uniforms, stood at new barricades outside the Old City’s gates and patrolled its alleyways, checking identification cards.
Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization and a close aide to Mr. Abbas, said Israel was planning another Defensive Shield because Mr. Netanyahu was facing increasing international isolation while the Palestinians were gaining international support. “They want more Palestinian blood,” Mr. Erekat told the official Voice of Palestine Radio, adding, “We will protect ourselves.” The usually crammed Muslim quarter was eerily quiet; most shops were closed in a strike to protest the restrictions. At one point, officers tackled a young man near where the attacks occurred, ordering friends who rushed to his defense to “get back,” then telling them all to “get out of here.”
Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the P.L.O.’s executive committee, later said in a statement, “The Palestinian people, like all peoples of conscience and moral responsibility, condemns the use of violence against innocent civilians.” She added, however, that “Palestine, under Israel’s belligerent occupation, has been subject to the systematic and escalating violence of the occupation, whether in the form of settler-terrorism or at the hands of the Israeli military using live ammunition.” Other youths gathered around as a man scrubbed blood he said was from the previous night’s violence from the floor of his shop.
In Israel, Mr. Netanyahu, leader of the conservative Likud party, faced criticism from opposition politicians in the center and on the left who excoriated him for having neglected the Palestinian issue, leading to years of stagnation and a diplomatic vacuum. In all, about 3,500 Israeli police officers were deployed across Jerusalem. In Issawiya, a frequent site of tension and violence, clashes broke out between residents and the police. “We cannot even leave by foot; the area is under complete military closure,” one resident, Muhammad Dari, said by telephone.
He also came under stinging criticism from rightist members of his ruling coalition. Clashes also broke out between Israeli security forces and Palestinians in several locations around the West Bank, including familiar friction points like Hebron. Montaser Abu Hajia, a resident of the Jenin refugee camp, said that more than two dozen Palestinians had been wounded by Israeli forces when clashes broke out there during a predawn raid by the military.
Naftali Bennett, the education minister and leader of the pro-settler Jewish Home party, primarily blamed Mr. Abbas for the violence but demanded steps from Mr. Netanyahu, including the rearrest of Palestinian prisoners released in a prisoner exchange, the freeing of the “bound hands” of Israeli soldiers, and the building of a new neighborhood or settlement in the West Bank as a response to every attack. Yisrael Katz, the Israeli minister of transportation, said the response to the upsurge in attacks could soon echo Operation Defensive Shield, the intense 2002 military campaign at the height of the second intifada. Then, Israeli forces invaded the Palestinian cities of the West Bank again and imposed strict limits on Palestinian movement in an effort to curb suicide bombings in Israeli cities.
Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization and a close aide to Mr. Abbas, said Israel was planning another Defensive Shield because Mr. Netanyahu was facing increasing international isolation amid growing international support for the Palestinians. “They want more Palestinian blood,” Mr. Erekat told the official Voice of Palestine Radio, adding, “We will protect ourselves.”
Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the P.L.O.’s executive committee, later said in a statement, “The Palestinian people, like all peoples of conscience and moral responsibility, condemns the use of violence against innocent civilians.”
She added, however, that “Palestine, under Israel’s belligerent occupation, has been subject to the systematic and escalating violence of the occupation, whether in the form of settler-terrorism or at the hands of the Israeli military using live ammunition.”
In Israel, Mr. Netanyahu, leader of the conservative Likud Party, faced criticism from opposition politicians in the center and on the left who excoriated him for having neglected the Palestinian issue, leading to years of stagnation and a diplomatic vacuum.
He also came under stinging criticism from right-wing members of his ruling coalition.
Naftali Bennett, the education minister and leader of the pro-settler party Jewish Home, primarily blamed Mr. Abbas for the violence but demanded steps from Mr. Netanyahu. These included the rearresting of Palestinian prisoners released in a prisoner exchange, the freeing of the “bound hands” of Israeli soldiers and the building of a new neighborhood or settlement in the West Bank as a response to each attack.
Yossi Dagan, the leader of the Shomron settler council in the northern West Bank, held a vigil outside the prime minister’s official residence. He told reporters that Mr. Netanyahu was showing “too much fear” of the international community, which vehemently opposes settlement construction, and “too little concern for the responsibility of the state to its citizens.”Yossi Dagan, the leader of the Shomron settler council in the northern West Bank, held a vigil outside the prime minister’s official residence. He told reporters that Mr. Netanyahu was showing “too much fear” of the international community, which vehemently opposes settlement construction, and “too little concern for the responsibility of the state to its citizens.”
Professor Avineri, the political scientist, said the right-wing criticism was not aimed at bringing Mr. Netanyahu down, since he was the right’s best option, but at pushing him to build more settlement homes. Mr. Avineri, the political scientist, said the right-wing criticism was not aimed at bringing down Mr. Netanyahu, since he was the right’s best option, but at pushing him to build more settlement homes.
But that, Professor Avineri said, would exacerbate tensions with the international community, lead to an escalation on the Palestinian side and prove that Mr. Netanyahu was not sincere in his call to renew peace negotiations. But that, the professor said, would exacerbate tensions with the international community, lead to an escalation on the Palestinian side and prove that Mr. Netanyahu was not sincere in his call to renew peace negotiations.
Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition holds the slimmest majority of one in the 120-seat Parliament and depends on the support of the Jewish Home. Some analysts suggested that he might use the escalation in tensions to seek to broaden his coalition by trying to bring in the center-left Zionist Union led by Isaac Herzog. Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition holds a majority of only one in the 120-seat Parliament and depends on the support of the Jewish Home.
“Netanyahu cannot continue with such a narrow coalition,” said Shmuel Sandler, a political science professor at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv. If he does, Professor Sandler said, “He will really be in the hands of the right wing.” Some analysts suggested that he might use the escalation in tensions to seek to broaden his coalition by trying to bring in the center-left Zionist Union, led by Isaac Herzog.
“Netanyahu cannot continue with such a narrow coalition,” said Shmuel Sandler, a political-science professor at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv. If he does, Mr. Sandler said, “He will really be in the hands of the right wing.”