Netanyahu seeks calm in clashes over holy site
JERUSALEM— Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to calm Israelis Thursday as a wave of Palestinian stabbing attacks spread deeper into Israel and clashes erupted across the West Bank, vowing to combat the growing violence without alienating international allies.
Netanyahu has come under fire from hard-liners within his own governing coalition as well as opposition lawmakers for not putting an end to the surging violence, which erupted weeks ago over tensions surrounding a Jerusalem site revered by Muslims and Jews.
The unrest began with clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police within the Jerusalem hilltop compound. But in recent days the violence has intensified and a series of attacks by Palestinians, carried out mainly by young people with no known links to armed groups, has shocked Israelis and raised fears of a new uprising.
“Israelis are acting with bravery, courage, restraint and determination to neutralize and kill the terrorists in the act,” Netanyahu told reporters at a press conference with top defence officials. “With persistence, systematically and with determination, we will prove that terror doesn’t pay.”
Israelis around the country have watched warily in recent days as the violence spread away from Jerusalem and the West Bank and deep into Israel. The violence continued Thursday, with four separate stabbing attacks in Jerusalem, the West Bank, Tel Aviv and northern Israel that wounded several Israelis.
In the Tel Aviv incident, a Palestinian stabbed four Israelis with a screwdriver before a soldier shot and killed him.
Palestinian protesters meanwhile clashed with Israeli forces in a number of locations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where a 20-year-old protester was killed by live fire, according to a Palestinian hospital official and witnesses.
Four Israelis have been killed in attacks over the past week. Seven Palestinians, including four alleged attackers, have been killed in the unrest. More than130 Palestinians have been wounded in demonstrations and clashes across the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
In a measure meant to ease tensions, Netanyahu banned cabinet ministers and lawmakers from the sensitive Jerusalem holy site, fearing any high-profile spectacle could further enflame tensions.
The move appeared to put him on a collision course with hard-liners in his government who have been pressing for a harsh crackdown and settlement expansion in the West Bank in response to the violence. Netanyahu said Thursday he was focusing on combating the violence and didn’t want to anger international allies, who oppose settlement construction, at a time when Israel needed support for security measures.
He also likely fears that a tougher response could anger the U.S. administration and lead to increased casualties on both sides, risking the outbreak of a full-fledged uprising like those in the 1980s and 2000s.
A Jerusalem hilltop compound lies at the heart of recent tensions. It is home to the Al-Aqsa mosque and is revered by Muslims as the spot where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven and by Jews as the site of the two biblical Temples.
Many Palestinians believe Israel is trying to expand the Jewish presence at the site, a claim Israel denies. Under a long-standing arrangement administered by Islamic authorities, Jews are allowed to visit the site during certain hours but not pray there.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday he would not allow his people to be “dragged” into more violence with Israel. Speaking to business leaders in the West Bank city of Ramallah, he said he was committed to “peaceful popular resistance,” though he backs the protesters who have clashed with Israeli police at Al-Aqsa.
He insisted the Palestinians are not interested in a further escalation but that his “hands are with those who are protecting Al-Aqsa mosque.”