The killing of three Israelis by a Palestinian at a settlement outside Jerusalem should serve as wake-up call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to revisit his policies that is turning Palestinian territories into an open prison. It should also help to wake him from the slumber he has been feigning for years, relying on the idea that Israel can enjoy peace and security by suppressing Palestinians with brute force and by denying them their legitimate rights.
Yesterday’s attack happened at the Har Adar settlement in the morning as Israeli security guards were opening a gate to admit Palestinian labourers with permits. A 37-year-old Palestinian took out a pistol he had hidden under his shirt and killed three Israelis. Israeli security services said the attacker had “significant personal and family problems, including those regarding family violence”, but its connection to the utter despair and deep hopelessness that currently characterize Palestinian life cannot be ignored.
The attack came as the US envoy, Jason Greenblatt, was in the city for talks on relaunching the moribund peace process, and also amid the shifting currents in the Palestinian politics caused by the tectonic shifts in the Arab political scene. There are signs of unity between Fatah and Hamas, though it’s too early to say how far it will go. And Trump has promised to wade into the peace process though there are doubts about his ability to act as an independent broker.
Violence must be condemned as it will not help resolve any crisis. Palestinian leaders too have condemned violence against Israelis. At the same time, Israel must refrain from actions that will stoke discontent and anger. Palestinians are living without hope as the peace process is dead and Netanyahu is advocating a no-state solution, grabbing Palestinian land to build more settlements. Israelis have been led to believe that the current status quo can be made permanent and is most suitable for them. With the Arab world in disarray and Palestinian factions fighting for their own survival, there is no incentive for Netanyahu to walk the thorn-strewn path of peace-making. Also, a wave of unrest that broke out two years ago has largely subsided in recent months.
But the harsh truth is that the status quo is unsustainable and dangerous however hard Netanyahu tries to paint a positive picture. Israel is now enjoying the fruits of Arab disunity and chaos, and also the Palestinian disunity which Tel Aviv had helped sow and sustain. The ruthless suppression of Palestinian voice and the unprecedented building of settlements on land confiscated from Palestinians will create a backlash that will finally shatter the false sense of peace that Netanyahu is bragging about.
