Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted security measures have failed, saying that there was “no quick fix for a spate of Palestinian ‘lone-wolf’ attacks that the Jewish state has faced in recent days.” He asked Israelis to remain vigilant.
In a press conference yesterday, along with Minister of Defence Moshe Yaalon, Public Security Minister Gildan Erdan, and army officials, Netanyahu claimed that there is a wave of violence with knives, stones and weapons that “are all the result of wild and untruthful incitement from Hamas, from the Palestinian Authority, from several neighbouring counties and, no less, from the Islamic Movement in Israel.”
Netanyahu also accused Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian leaders of making statements that “provoke emotions”.
He threatened the Palestinians by saying that the Israeli army and police will take various measures, including entering cities in the West Bank and Jerusalem and demolishing homes of those carrying out the attacks.
He also vowed to “take aggressive measures against the Islamic Movement in Israel”, led by Sheikh Raed Salah.
Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon said that the security forces are dealing responsibly and firmly with the wave of attacks, adding that the vast majority of planned attacks are discovered and thwarted before being executed, but the individual attacks require vigilance on the part of the citizens.
Ya’alon also called for “avoiding setting off sirens and alarms which fuel the fire, and instead show composure.”
Regarding Al-Aqsa Mosque, Ya’alon said: “Israel has no intention to change the status quo in Jerusalem.”
The Israeli Public Security Minister Erdan said that there is full cooperation amongst all the security forces and agencies in dealing with the attacks.
The press conference was described as a message to calm the Israeli community regarding the wave of attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank.