PM Netanyahu. Illustrative. Photo courtesy of Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO)
When terrorists claim Israeli lives, the Jewish State often responds in two ways: administering justice to the terrorists and building new Israeli homes. After one of the most brutal weeks in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) in months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said they had taken down three of the responsible terrorists and were “taking decisive action to find him and we will also deal with him to the fullest extent of the law.”
In comments released by his office, Netanyahu further said he had ordered that the process of demolishing the terrorists’ homes be accelerated and had also revoked work permits for their clans. The moves not only administer justice for the crimes, but are also intended to deter future attacks. “I sent a clear message to Hamas: We will not accept a situation in which there is a ceasefire in Gaza and terrorism in Judea and Samaria,” said Netanyahu. “We will exact a heavy price for this.”
As for a productive response to the violence, Netanyahu highlighted that he had given the go-ahead for thousands of homes to be legalized, two new industrial zones be set up, and for 82 new residential units be approved in Judea and Samaria.
The multi-pronged Israeli response comes after three Israelis were murdered by Palestinian attacks in one week. Israeli Prime Minister spokesman Ofir Gendelman on Twitter summarized the violence last week and the troubling approach by the supposedly moderate Palestinian Authority to terrorism in general.
“Brutal Palestinian terrorism keeps murdering innocent Israelis. This week alone, 3 Israelis, one of them a newborn baby, were murdered by Palestinian terrorists, who are incited and financially rewarded by the Palestinian Authority for murdering Israelis,” tweeted Gendelman.
A video posted to the IDF Twitter feed noted that the baby was delivered prematurely after the mother was wounded in a shooting attack at a bus stop and died days later. Other IDF Twitter posts noted that two Israeli soldiers were killed in another shooting, one soldier was injured in an attempted ramming attack and another solider was wounded when he was stabbed and hit with a rock in yet another attack—all in one week.
The same week, two terrorists were slain. The IDF Twitter feed took offense at a tweet from the The Guardian newspaper that merely noted two Israelis and two Palestinians had been killed. Said the IDF tweet in response, “2 Israelis: our soldiers guarding a civilian bus stop when a Palestinian terrorist shot them. 2 Palestinians: terrorists who opened fire on innocent Israelis, murdering 3 civilians, including a 4-day-old baby. Equating them condones terror.”
But don’t think Israel is just responding to the conflict with tweets. Netanyahu on Sunday spoke of additional “steps” beyond the previously announced construction. He summarized the Israeli actions by stating that “following the wave of murderous terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria last week we have taken vigorous security and settlement actions.”
“…The Palestinian terrorists think that they can uproot us from the heart of our land. By our actions and the strength of our spirit we will make it clear to them and to the entire world that we are here to stay.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, December 16, 2018)