A plot to assassinate Otzma Yehudit MK Itamar Ben-Gvir naturally led to efforts to capture the east Jerusalem terrorists, but there are other disturbing aspects to this story.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
The most disturbing aspect of the plot concerns the repeated and one might even say increasing involvement of east Jerusalem Arabs in terrorist activities. Unlike Arabs in Judea and Samaria, east Jerusalem Arabs have Israeli identification cards, and as a result, enjoy benefits such as national insurance and full freedom of movement inside Israel as a result. While this is a blessing when it comes to their ability to make a living, it can also present a terrorist threat.
For political reasons aimed at unifying the capital, Israel insisted on designating Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem as residents. There are 300,000 people in east Jerusalem, a majority of whom are poor and hostile, who identify as Palestinians and whose proper place is in the Palestinian Authority.
Avoiding this step not only places an economic burden on Israel and skews the demographic situation in Jerusalem to a dangerous degree but also has the potential to pose a nationalist threat.
While the Arabs behind the plot to kill Ben-Gvir support Hamas' ideology, they acted on their own.
This is another disturbing aspect of their activity: There was no guiding force from the Gaza Strip or anywhere else. They acted of their own volition, under the leadership of a known local operative who had been involved in hostile activity in the past. Their objectives were similar to those of cells guided by the organization in the past: the kidnapping of Israelis to be used later on as bargaining chips, suicide attacks, bombs, and attacks on well-known public figures.
Ben-Gvir was likely targeted because he serves as a symbol of the Temple Mount and in Jerusalem's Old City. It was strange to social medial posts on Tuesday from those who claimed Ben-Gvir's actions were the reason he was targeted: Hamas does not need excuses to harm Israelis, and there can never be any justification for killing Israelis, even if they are situated on the fringes of the Israeli political map.
Yet one must also hope the assassination plot spurs Ben-Gvir to engage in some self-reflection. His claims that the Left and the current government are to blame for his being targeted are just as preposterous as those made by Hamas. At any rate, with his infamous history, Ben-Gvir may not be the right man to speak out against incitement by political figures at this time.
More than anything, though, Ben-Gvir would be wise to apologize to the Shin Bet security agency and Ronen Bar, the man at its head. Last month, Ben-Gvir led a public campaign against Bar and the agency, claiming they had failed on the Temple Mount, in terrorist attacks in Beersheba, in Bnei Brak, in Hadera, and in the Gaza Strip and called on him to quit delivering press conferences and get to work instead.
It now turns out that at the same time as Ben-Gvir was speaking out against them, Bar and his people were working energetically to save the lawmaker's life. They did this with the same level of professionalism that guided them when they recommended limiting Ben-Gvir's freedom of movement during Ramadan to prevent a massive outbreak of violence in Jerusalem and beyond.
Ben-Gvir behaved like a serial wrongdoer who accuses others of wrongdoing, but the time has come for him to grow up. Too often, his actions put an unnecessary burden on security forces and require them to prioritize operational attention on the circus he creates instead of far more urgent missions, chief among them thwarting terror and saving lives.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
