Israeli Violence Continues to Escalate

Article by Rebecca Oldham. Media by Andrea Martin. [divide]

 

For a while now, there has been a growing epidemic of violence in Israel between the Israeli and Palestinian people. The violence between East Jerusalem and the West Bank has been growing for the past few years and recent events have started a new wave of stabbings, shootings, suicide bombings and even people driving into crowds.

Image via CNN
Image via CNN

According to CNN, the security problem has been growing for a while; back in 2014 it started to become a dire situation when three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and murdered. A few weeks later, Israeli extremists kidnapped a 17-year-old Palestinian boy and later murdered him. Since then, both sides have led attacks on one another making the violence rise to an all-time high.

In the recent few weeks, a new wave of violence has hit the Israeli people. The Israeli people, being at odds with the Palestinians, have sought to secure their religious mounts and symbols with one situation highlighting the growing tension. According to CNN writer, Ben Wedeman, “A particular point of contention is the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as the Haram Al-Sharif, in the Old City,” has become the stronghold for Muslims as they continue to push Jews away from the religious site. Since 1967, Jews have not been allowed to pray on the mount. Recently, however, hardline Jewish activists have demanded more access to the Mount and certain politicians have asked for rights for the Jews to pray at the Mount as well. For the Palestinians, this has caused fear regarding whether their rights will be violated if the division of the Temple Mount continues. This has begun to light the ignition that has started some of the recent stabbings, which have been taking place in Israel.

The latest incidents have seemed to revolve around two distinct situations that happened on Saturday where two Palestinians brutally stabbed officers and some other Israeli citizens. According to CNN reporters Ashley Fantz and Ed Payne, a “16-year-old Palestinian boy stabbed two Israelis about 150 yards from the entrance to the gates of the Old City.” This area is sacred to both Jews and Muslims and is also the area where most of the stabbings have taken place. It seems to be the place where activists and extremists believe will get the most attention, and the biggest public reaction. Most of the assailants who have caused the stabbings have been arrested or even killed by the Israeli police. Since Saturday, violence between the Israelis and Palestinians keeps rising as more suicide bombings continue to occur.

Image via CNN
Image via CNN

Although the attacks seem to be organized, authorities and politicians have not been able to find a link between the groups such as Hamas or Fatah, or Islamic Jihad according to the reporter Ben Wedemen. As the violence continues to swell, politicians have tried to make peace, but it is difficult because no links can be made as to who has started the violence. In response, security measures have taken place, but still panic continues to sweep over the Israeli and Palestinian people who are being affected the most by organized terror. If the violence cannot be stopped through the use of security measures, some have assumed governmental measures will then need to take place in order to assure that violence does not grow into something more.  

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