In the last week or so, Israel Defense Forces soldiers stationed in Judea and Samaria were the targets of three shooting incidents.ย A report by the Bitchonistim defense and security forum said at in 2020, there were 1,884 stone-throwings in the region, as well as 406 attacks involving Molotov cocktails, in which 154 civilians and soldiers were injured.
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It also said that in 2021, "there was a 210% increase in Palestinian activity on traffic routes in Judea and Samaria compared to the year before." As such, the IDF and the Border Police have said they are working to eliminate the threat, including significant arrests of Palestinian perpetrators.
However, an examination of the detainees' legal files reveals that attackers are handed much lighter sentences by the civil and military courts than those determined by law. The average such sentence involves a few days of imprisonment, whereas, under the law, such offenses can carry up to 10-25 years in prison. And yet, some in the political and defense establishment choose to focus on "settler violence."
According to the report, the trend is an "extreme expression of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas' institutional system of incitement to jihad against Israel."
In a familiar strategic logic, the leadership of the Palestinian Authority โ beginning with President Mahmoud Abbas โ excels in managing two seemingly contradicting trends. On the one hand, Abbas encourages the peace process and moderate views, and on the other, openly backs the Palestinian struggle and violent means. He has consistently provided financial support to terrorists and their families and continues to lead a legal struggle against Israel in the international arena.
Meanwhile, Palestinian construction in Area C continues, while Jewish settlement-building is on hold. Even if the construction plan approved by the Knesset for the expansion of the Jewish settlement comes to be, it will include no more than 3,000 housing units at best for an area with nearly half a million Israelis. No wonder Judea and Samaria settlers are frustrated.
The Israeli government is sending a message that it is not going to stay there forever, and this has paved the way to step up the violent struggle against the Jewish state.ย The Bennett-Lapid government, given the complexity of the current coalition, cannot take significant steps in changing the situation in Judea and Samaria. This has led to the intensification of terrorism as the new stage in the struggle to rob Israel of what remains in its hands in the Judea and Samaria and Jordan Valley region.
The Palestinians have seen this opening and that is why the security situation in Judea and Samaria has been deteriorating rapidly.
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