Is there hope for peace if Palestinians back violence? Illustrative banner of terrorists and Dome of the Rock. By Joshua Spurlock
Terrorists took a page from al-Qaeda and Hezbollah on Tuesday and set off multiple explosive devices, not far from Jerusalem, which wounded an Israeli soldier. IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said on Twitter that blast was caused by four improvised explosive devices (IEDs), with another five found at the scene. The attack took place near the Arab town of Hizma, just a couple miles from the Jerusalem outer suburbs.
Inside Jerusalem on Tuesday, a pair of elderly women were stabbed by two attackers. Israeli Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said on Twitter that the terrorists were arrested, while the women were in moderate condition. Rosenfeld said that security was “heightened” after the incident. Prime Minister’s Office spokesman Ofir Gendelman said the terrorists were Palestinian in his Tweet, noting that “Palestinians call attacks like this ‘heroic ops.’”
The incidents came on Israel’s Memorial Day, which honors those fallen in war and terrorism. Memorial Day in Israel is one day before Independence Day, and the juxtaposition of terror attacks and Israeli Independence was not lost on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
In his Independence Day speech, released early by his office, Rivlin said, “Terror will not overcome us, even though it may take a terrible price.”
Despite that, Rivlin spoke of hope on Independence Day. “It is a day to lift the flag high in the knowledge that our hope will lead us to find the way to overcome the challenges, and to spread a message of understanding and respect between one another. And while around our borders, and even inside our borders, blow the terrible winds of radical Islam, we are sure of our path and of our ability and right to build here our national home, with security and prosperity.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, May 10, 2016)