Dateline Jerusalem — Such a pleasure to be back to writing my once-a-week essays. Doing daily updates on the war with Gaza was hectic. Never a dull day in Israel. This week there has been an increase in the number of terror- related incidents and attacks against Israelis. Border Patrol officers, soldiers, police and medics have kept busy.
Abbas and other senior officials in the Palestinian Authority's Fatah faction have been inciting Palestinians in the “West Bank” and Israeli Arabs by declaring “open war” on Israel. Fatah claims it reached a “political decision” to support terrorists who will slaughter Jews in Judea and Samaria (the “West Bank”) and in East Jerusalem. They called for a return to terrorism, and Fatah is being taken seriously. Israeli children and adult civilians were seriously injured in several incidents
Israeli Arabs, spurred by Fatah, have been involved in rock throwing, firebombing and Molotov cocktail attacks. The light rail in Jerusalem was shut down in an Arab neighborhood for a couple of days when firebombs targeted it. A bus driver was injured when a Molotov cocktail was thrown at him. Saturday night in Jerusalem's City of David area, Molotov cocktails were aimed at an historic 19th century Jewish home. A Jew at the scene received first- and second-degree burn injuries to his head from the terror attack.
Where was the world outcry when an 11- month-old Jewish baby girl was injured when a car she was riding in was attacked by Arabs throwing rocks the “size of a fist”? The medic said it was a miracle her wounds weren't worse. No outcry when a three-yea- old girl was injured by a rock attack. Rocks are deadly weapons.
Today, there were two major incidents. At one checkpoint, a car full of Palestinians tried to run down soldiers who feared for their lives. A soldier shot at the car when it refused to stop and continued to head towards him. The driver later died from his injuries at an Israeli hospital. One passenger who tried to leave the scene was hurt. The car was full of Palestinians who tried to illegally enter Israel. An Israeli civilian who happened to be at the checkpoint was injured after being hit by the speeding vehicle.
Roadblocks were set up throughout the Sharon and Dan regions of Israel when it was believed terrorist shad infiltrated Israel. Shin Bet (Israel's security agency) received information that terrorists may have infiltrated near Netanya, just north of Tel Aviv. A security alert went out, and all schools were protected by Border Patrol officers, the students had to remain inside. Gates were locked. In some areas, every car was searched by police, and on the ground Border Patrol officers and Israeli Army's elite forces were hunting for the terrorists. Helicopters searched from the air. Two Arab men were arrested in the manhunt.
This does not address the threats on Israel's borders that have been keeping Israelis on constant alert. Never a dull day in Israel.
L'hitraot. Shachar
