The hostilities between Israel and Gaza caught Netanyahu’s government by surprise. What started as a local demonstration by Palestinians against ongoing efforts to evict them quickly escalated into violent clashes with a heavy-handed Israeli police. Hamas then demanded Israel remove its forces from the area, including the nearby Al-Aqsa mosque, or face reprisals. When they didn’t, the terror group retaliated by firing rockets into Jerusalem.
This was on Monday. By Wednesday there had been fierce exchanges of fire between both sides. Hamas fired over 1,500 rockets towards Israeli cities and towns. Despite Israel’s impressive Iron Dome anti-missile system and widely available shelters, over 200 Israelis have been injured and seven killed. With the help of Qatari funding and Iranian training, Hamas has significantly improved its rocket-making and launching abilities. Since 2014, Israel has improved its ability to destroy tunnels, weapons arsenals, and infrastructure used by the terrorists. This is a war that the Israeli Defense Force has prepared for and is well equipped to handle.
But there is one thing the IDF has been unable to deal with: widespread rioting in Israeli towns. Rioters tend to be young Arabs and far-right Jewish men. They leave a trail of destruction, including burnt out synagogues, schools, and businesses, blocked roads and railways, torched cars, and damage from hurled rocks.
On Monday, young Arab men attacked Jewish people and properties, causing considerable damage and destruction. The police opted for a policy of ‘inclusion’ that failed to curb the riots and left civilians exposed. Things escalated on Tuesday with two lynchings: an Arab man attacked by a Jewish mob in the city of Bat-Yam and a Jewish man attacked by an Arab mob in the city of Acre.
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