New figures obtained by Israel Hayom suggest that the number of terrorist attacks perpetrated by Jews has risen dramatically compared to 2023.
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According to the data, in the first six months of 2023, Jews were behind 25 incidents that have been classified by Israeli defense officials as terrorism, compared with 25 acts of Jewish terror throughout all of 2022. These include firebombing as well as vandalism to mosques and homes.
Video: Mourners bid farewell to Palestinian killed by Jewish settlers in West Bank / Credit: Reuters
The figures also show a surge in clashes and what is generally referred to as "price-tag events," – when settlers arrive at various Palestinian locations in response to terrorism to take revenge. In the first half of 2023, Jews were involved in 680 clashes – which take the form of rock throwing and various assaults – compared to 950 throughout all of 2022. As for price-tag attacks, 11 have been recorded for the first half of 2023 compared with 18 throughout all of 2022.
Security officials are concerned over these trends, as well as the rise in the number of Jewish terrorists who are not organically linked to the so-called "hilltop youth" or extremist groups. Whereas in the past, such provocateurs could be easily identified based on their pattern of behavior and area of activity, today there are many more people engaged in these actions that fly beneath the Shin Bet security agency's radar.
The investigation into the deadly incident in Burqa over the weekend, where a settler allegedly killed a Palestinian, continues.
On Sunday night, five Palestinian suspects were arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and serious injury to Jews during the incident.
More arrests are expected. At the same time, Elisha Yered, the Jew who was involved in the incident – who claims that he was attacked while herding his sheep – filed a complaint against those involved.
According to information obtained by Israel Hayom, the Shin Bet believes that even if the killing of the Palestinian was in self-defense, Yered's actions were not the typical herding you would see.
"There is a system in the area in which they come to create friction, agitate, and try to provoke the Palestinians. It creates tensions that shouldn't exist," a Shin Bet official says. "They harm security and divert the forces from countering terrorism."
On the other hand, the Givat Oz Zion community says that they never had friction with Palestinians from the nearby village until that incident. Yehuda Lieber, a resident of the community, says: "This is a hill where families with children live. We mind our own business, and it is easy to prove it through the army. To say that our people were there [in the Palestinian village of Burqa] to create trouble is not true. We're not looking for chaos."
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