Cops at Damascus Gate soon after the recent stabbing
Presumably all Israelis are expected to take heart from officialdom’s line that the recent spate of terror attacks comprises nothing but unforeseeable products of “personal initiative.” Presumably the accumulation of deadly and near-deadly terror outrages is nothing but an apparently incidental buildup without a guiding hand pulling strings behind the scenes.
Presumably such learned opinions – both from the top brass and self-appointed experts – are supposed to calm our anxieties.
But those with longer memories will quickly note that such was also the soothing conventional wisdom when the first intifada was at its height and when the second erupted. Indeed, it is always individuals who carry out attacks, except in the case of bombings – suicide or otherwise – where clearly group collusion is required.
“Lone-wolf” reassurances are therefore spurious and geared more than anything else to provide pretexts both for military and law-enforcement higher-ups and for commentators who fail to see what is palpable for the common-man.
The notion that before us are nothing more than sporadic isolated undertakings by assorted psychos helps deflect accountability. Talk about containment rather than active deterrence further helps to avoid responsibility. More than all else, the lone wolf theory is self-serving.
It keeps from public attention the ominous context in which these acts are perpetrated. For instance, thousands of Arabs demonstrated on the occasion of the first Friday of Ramadan at the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem several days before the stabbing there of a border policeman. They hoisted placards with photos of “martyrs” and imprisoned terrorists. Israel’s media barely reported this as it systematically ignores disturbances without casualties.
No sooner did the stabbed officer shoot his assailant then screams of support for the terrorist filled the air. Constant prayer vigils are since held at the site for the stabber’s recovery. He has been elevated to the rank of a national hero.
The broad and enthusiastic succor that the purported lone wolves receive in their society reveals them to be anything but lone wolves. The entrenched infrastructure of incitement throughout Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority jurisdiction in itself commissions onslaughts by glorifying and emboldening the perpetrators.
Youngsters grow up in an educational environment which indoctrinates them to regard Jews as “monkeys and pigs.” Mosque sermons are as virulent as Nazi characterizations of Jews were in the 1930s. On top of all that, Abbas’s media whips up fervor nonstop to a fever pitch.
This betokens public sanction for terror.
Instead of engaging in obligatory low-key denunciation of the orchestrated brainwashing under Abbas’s auspices, Israel’s leaders ought to make this their central issue. This should go as far as boldly spurning any foreign diplomatic initiatives so long as Israelis and Jews are dehumanized by their insincere peace-partners and singled out as targets for bloody termination.
The fact is that there is nothing unpredictable about the recurrent terror attacks and they are not entirely unpreventable.
There is no point pretending that the Ramadan zeal coupled with the veneration showered upon homicidal acts – like the point-blank assassination of student Danny Gonen near Dolev – don’t inspire copycats to emulate the sadistic examples so exalted everywhere around them. Ringing in our ears are rallying war cries.
Any attempt to downplay the resultant terror as a chance accrual of unrelated inconsequential incidents – especially against the current chaotic and explosive Mideast backdrop – offers no hope of lowering the flames. Not only that: it has every chance of actually fanning the flames because it imparts the impression of a hesitant and apprehensive Israel, shy of confrontation and tolerant of small-scale bloodshed.
While on our side the goal is to avoid major confrontation by stomaching attacks of a limited scope or degree, on the other side our tentativeness is interpreted as weakness. In our region the weak get no breaks.
Given the Palestinian daily diet of hate dished out liberally in the school system, the mosques, the press and the broadcast media, our weakness foremost boosts the belligerence of predator wolves – even of the conjectured lone variety. The Israeli public can afford no delusions about what Abbas willfully encourages against us.
Bucking the Trend ... 
well said again Sarah, in Skynews UK online, the stabbing was reported as a palestinian being shot by Israeli policeman, its only when you read into the story do you see that he tried to murder the policeman first, its not just a stabbing as you say, these attacks are intended to murder Jewish citizens, and I also agree and sincerely doubt if they are lone wolves, they all love each other and encourage each other to do these crimes, they are hero’s when they succeed, what a twisted crowd they are, and Israel is lambasted when it defends itself, I am not sure what the answer should be, but sadly the only language those barbarians understand is pain, I hope they get what they wish for,
In response to the very insightful comment of Michael Douglas posted above:
“….sadly the only language those barbarians understand is pain”
I would propose the following be initiated into Law immediately with the aim of discouraging attacks upon Jews.
Any person planning and/or carrying out an attack on a citizen of Israel shall incur the following punishments.
1) Immediate arrest and swift trial and unpleasant incarceration. No color TV and phones.
2) His/her house where he resided will be destroyed or seized as permanent property of the State regardless of who is the Legal owner of the house.
3) His/her Family and all relatives will be permanently deported immediately to Gaza.
4) All assets of the convicted perpetrator will be immediately forfeited to the State and/or victim.
5) Upon arrest, Perpetrator’s name and photo will be immediately promulgated in the Press, TV and the Internet for all the world to see.
The “Right to Privacy” shall be forfeited by anyone who attempts to harm a Jew.
All above will be widely disseminated on TV, the Press and the Internet at least twice daily under the title WARNING to all residents of the State of Israel.
Obviously these measures may cause pain to certain individuals who were not directly involved in the crime/s of hurting Jews. That is always the unfortunate price of “deterrence”.
The world, as always, will hoot and howl at “terrible, repressive, alleged Apartheid Israel”.
Let them.
Meanwhile, word will spread quickly regarding the newly initiated punishments for the crime of hurting/murdering Jews.
Will these measurements prevent all attacks against Jews ?? Obviously the answer is no.
But these measurements will stop many attacks against Jews.
A wise individual once said: “Better to light one candle than curse the darkness”.
Of the countless thousands of convicted terrorist criminals housed in Israeli prisons at public expense, likely precious few of their Families and relatives suffered any pain and/or punishment of any kind following the arrest of the perpetrator. In fact that Family was widely “Honored” and rewarded handsomely financially for creating a so-called “Hero”.
These things can change and MUST change. Until they do every single citizen in the State of Israel is a perpetual “sitting duck” and a walking target for the next terrorist who comes along.
When waiting for the next bus can cause someone to lose his/her life, clearly something is wrong and dramatic changes are in order.
Trying to play the game of being “Politically Correct” and attempting to avoid world criticism will not protect any Israeli from becoming the next victim of barbaric terrorism.
That game was played by many among America’s Leading Jewish Leaders during WW II.
The result was that Six Million died, many of whom might have been saved.
Let us get real and take off the gloves. A lot more can be done to protect the citizens of the State of Israel. We have the technology to do that but we must summon up the will.
There is NO “peace process”…everyone who pretends otherwise is a liar and an enemy of Israel and the Jewish people !
Judea and Samaria MUST be annexed.
I think underlying the official downplaying of these incidents is an all too pervasive warped mentality among those on high in Israel: a mixture of loathing and contempt for the ordinary Jewish citizens of Israel, and perhaps for the state of Israel, also.
One wonders how Josef Trumpeldor and Ze’ev Jabotinsky would have reacted to the current daily incitement practiced by Abbas and his henchmen. Just today I read an article in another publication, about all the graves on the Mt. of Olives that have been desecrated, as a result. How terrible. How unacceptable. Once again, Israel is one murder away from another war, as last year. Who with, this time? I’ve also got to ask about personal gun-carry laws in Israel. Perhaps an armed populace would slow Abbas’ incitement. It’s worth a try. Don’t you think?