Keep calm, order coffee and carry on

THE ISRAELI RESPONSE to the terror attack in which four diners in the Max Brenner restaurant were murdered could seem harsh.

The decision to “freeze” exit permits from the West Bank for 83,000 Palestinian civilians during Ramadan has been described by Israel’s critics as “collective punishment”. The town of Yatta, where the two murderers came from, was closed. Another decision has been to stop returning bodies of dead Palestinian attackers to their families for burial.

At second glance, however, these steps are relatively minor. The Ramadan exit permits will be renewed in a few days if no further attacks take place, the closure of Yatta has been removed and there are no bodies currently in Israel’s hands anyway. The reality behind Israel’s response is that the security policy has remained unchanged.

New Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on the day after the attack that “we will not make do with talk”, but so far, he is accepting the recommendation of the security chiefs not to make any drastic changes.

The IDF still believes that the financial incentive of work in Israel, along with Palestinian fatigue from violence and a renewed commitment by the Palestinian Authority security apparatus to co-operate, will combine to maintain the lull in attacks.

Since early March, the number of stabbings, shootings and ramming attacks has been in steady decline. There is still hope that the Max Brenner shooting, carried out by individuals with a handful of collaborators using makeshift submachine guns, was not the harbinger of another deadly wave.

The month of Ramadan is a tense period; the IDF has positioned two additional battalions in the West Bank to stave off any further unrest.

Meanwhile, focus is shifting to more long-term issues, such as completing the separation fence around the West Bank. The Yatta shooters took advantage of the remaining gaps in the fence south of Hebron to enter Israel.

Mr Lieberman is still learning his new complex ministerial brief and will be under intense scrutiny from the security hierarchy and the public. His right-wing supporters may expect him to act tough, but he is anxious to reassure generals and the international community that he can act responsibly and be a moderating influence.

On the morning after the attack, as he arrived at Max Brenner for a solidarity visit, he probably reflected that sometimes the most that even a defence minister can do is to order coffee and carry on.