AMU Homeland Security

Violence, Tensions Sharply Increase in Jerusalem

By William Tucker
Chief Correspondent for In Homeland Security

In the last two weeks violence in Jerusalem has significantly increased with the latest attack carried out by a Hamas militant using a van as a weapon. The militant was shot dead by police shortly after the attack began, but dozens of people had already been injured. Hamas has taken responsibility and the Facebook page belonging to the perpetrator prominently displays his links to Hamas thus leaving little doubt as to the nature of the attack. Other attacks against Israeli interests include the attempted assassination of an Israeli activist and another vehicle borne attack targeting pedestrians. As a result of the assassination attempt Israel restricted access to the Dome of the Rock which angered Palestinians. Riots in the street near the entrance ensued shortly after, and though they are small in number there is a very real possibility that this unrest could grow. Further attacks using vehicles or small arms are a possibility as they tend to provoke the type of unrest that eventually forces negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority. Making matters worse, Jordan recently recalled their ambassador to Israel as a result of the restricted access to the Dome of the Rock.

Detecting and preventing such low level attacks carried out by a lone wolf can create a headache for law enforcement and can have wider policy implications. This is especially true for Israel and even the PA if the attack wasn’t ordered. Though the perpetrator of this latest vehicle attack was a member of Hamas – and certainly carried out the attack in their name – it isn’t clear that the attack was ordered. That being said, Hamas does stand to benefit. This creates a problem for the Israelis, on the one hand they must respond to these attacks, but on the other hand any response can quickly escalate tensions. This dichotomy is precisely why Israel places so much emphasis on intelligence collection in the West Bank and Gaza. But even excellent intelligence can’t preclude every attack thus forcing Israel to find a way to respond to the provocations without escalating tensions. Israel has managed to do this in the past with attacks that were much larger and caused more casualties, so it is possible that the government can respond more effectively in the near future.

William Tucker serves as a senior security representative to a major government contractor where he acts as the Counterintelligence Officer, advises on counterterrorism issues, and prepares personnel for overseas travel. His additional duties include advising his superiors in matters concerning emergency management and business continuity planning.

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