This cannot go on like this. I mean, it can, but it would be beyond the pale.
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We must not tolerate a situation in which Jews are killed all over the country as if this was some incurable disease or some natural phenomenon that cannot be prevented. It's not that the settlers can't stand it anymore – they have shown resilience before and during tougher times. They know full well why they are not giving up their hold on the areas of the Land of Israel: for the sake of the entire nation.
Of course, Israelis are not going to be deterred by the current wave of terrorist attacks. But what we cannot accept is having the government do almost nothing in response. People are being slaughtered one after another, but the government – which just a year ago blamed the Bennett-Lapid government for the deaths of Jews by terrorists – is simply shrugging it off.
There is no plan; there are no options laid on the table; there are no emergency measures – all we have had so far are ridiculous promises by Netanyahu that the "killers will be caught just like we caught those that came before them." As if that is what is going to prevent the next attack. Israeli security forces and the Shin Bet security agency have been hunting terrorists every day without needing a top-down government directive. That is what they are tasked to do; they never think about abandoning this mission. This makes Netanyahu's statements fall flat. Mr. Netanyahu, please stop this charade.
The prime minister's job is to pursue a policy that would end this bloodbath, but there appears to be no such plan. An attack follows another attack in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Judea, and Samaria – only to have the government do nothing. The ministers and MKs sound combative rhetoric and laconic expressions of sorrow, but they shirk their duty – that is, they won't act.
No explicit steps were taken, and the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet was only convened finally on Tuesday, but no emergency plan was announced. There is no diplomatic horizon, and no major military steps apart from a few actions taken to bolster the settlements, which are not necessarily the same as bolstering security. In other words, the government's conduct is very much like its predecessor a year ago, in every aspect of the world. It has nothing to offer, hope or otherwise. Its policies are no better than the Bennett-Lapid-Gantz government. In fact, they are worse.
The terrorist gangs are freely roaming around Jenin and Nablus; even the Fatah group has joined them. But Israel's government has stayed silent. Or to be more precise, it has "continued to bolster the Palestinian Authority," as the government decided a month ago, despite being dubbed the "most right-wing ever". As if the PA will provide Israel with a remedy for terrorism.
It's worth noting that the government comprises the same people who blamed the previous government for passivity that allowed the terrorist wave of 2022 to erupt. Now they are blaming Iran – not very convincing. Restoring security and governability was the theme they ran on, but eight months into the government's term in office, things are not any better – in fact, they have worsened.
It is time to draw conclusions: The government and the IDF bear responsibility for letting this situation continue. If the government can end the killings, it must do so; if it can't, it should let others be in power instead. It's not as if it has delivered on many other things with great success.
The same should apply to the IDF chief of staff and the GOC Central Command. Of course, they are doing their utmost to handle the situation, but if a general fails in battle, he can be relieved and have someone else take over. This is not unheard of. This is not an attack – but a call to action. But one thing is certain: It can't go on like this.
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