Netanyahu: Israel boosting security for Jewish holidays
After five attacks in three days, PM vows troops ‘will be ready to defend our people during this sensitive period’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel was boosting security ahead of the upcoming Jewish High Holidays, after a surge in violence in the past few days.
Netanyahu’s comments came after what Israeli authorities said was the fifth attack on security forces or civilians since Friday following a three-week lull.
The violence over the past few days came as Palestinians wrapped up the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting Sunday that the army and police “are boosting their forces” ahead of the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur in October.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting today to assess the security situation ahead of the Tishrei holidays.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 18, 2016
“The security forces are on heightened alert and I will meet with them today in order to ensure that we will be ready to defend our people during this sensitive period,” he said.
Earlier Sunday, a Palestinian stabbed and wounded an Israeli officer in a West Bank settlement before being shot by forces at the scene, the army said. It said a “terrorist carried out a stabbing attack in Efrat and wounded an officer.”
Both were evacuated to the Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem, which said the soldier was in moderate condition after he was stabbed in the armpit. The attacker was also in moderate condition after suffering a gunshot to his head during the attack.
Efrat is a short distance from the flashpoint city of Hebron in the West Bank, where a Palestinian stabbed a soldier on Saturday before being shot dead, Israeli authorities say.
On Friday, two Palestinians rammed a car into a bus stop used by Israelis near the adjacent Kiryat Arba settlement, causing injuries before troops killed one of the assailants, Israeli authorities said.
The same day, a Jordanian tried to stab a police officer in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem before being shot dead, according to Israeli authorities.
Jordan called the shooting a “barbaric act” and alleged that the man killed was part of a group of tourists.
The Israeli army announced on Saturday it was deploying an additional battalion to reinforce the Hebron area following the uptick in violence around the city.
Palestinian terrorism and violence since last October has killed 34 Israelis, two Americans, one Eritrean and a Sudanese; 227 Palestinians and a Jordanian were also killed during that time. Israeli forces say most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks. Others were killed during protests and clashes or in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip.
The Times of Israel Community.