SURDA, West Bank — A new generation of angry, disillusioned Palestinians is driving the current wave of clashes with Israeli forces: Too young to remember the hardships of life during Israel’s clampdown on the last major uprising, they have lost faith in statehood through negotiations, distrust their political leaders, and believe Israel only understands force.
Some say they want to emulate those killed or wounded in confrontations or attacks on Israelis — like Mohannad Halabi, the 19-year-old law student from the West Bank who stabbed to death two Israelis in a bloody rampage in Jerusalem’s Old City over the weekend before being shot dead by police.
“We are all impressed with what he has done,” said Malik Hussein, a 19-year-old friend and fellow law student at Al-Quds University near Jerusalem. “The day after the attack, university students took to the streets and clashed with Israeli soldiers. Mohannad’s way is the only way to liberate Palestine.”
Despite such fervor and a rise in violence, it’s not clear if conditions are ripe for a new uprising against the Israeli military occupation, which began in 1967 when Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. The previous revolt, marked by Palestinian bombings and shootings, erupted in 2000 and ebbed after Mahmoud Abbas, an opponent of violence, replaced the late Yasser Arafat as Palestinian president in 2005.
Abbas now walks a thin line.
He is trying to prevent an escalation that he believes will cost the Palestinians international sympathy but can’t be seen as cracking down on what Palestinians view as legitimate resistance to occupation. On Monday, Abbas ordered his security commanders to switch tactics and not use force to prevent Palestinian protests.
Much will depend on the severity of Israel’s response. The most recent attacks killed four Israelis last week — the two Israeli men stabbed by Halabi and a Jewish settler couple killed in a West Bank shooting ambush, in view of their four children.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened a tough crackdown, saying he is sending thousands more police and soldiers to the West Bank and east Jerusalem with a mandate to take “strong action” against anyone throwing stones or firebombs.
In the past, such clampdowns often led to more Palestinian casualties, which, in turn, fueled new protests and more bloodshed.
During the last uprising, Israel imposed unprecedented restrictions on daily life in Palestinian territories to try to end attacks on Israelis. Troops sealed off communities, keeping many Palestinians from jobs and schools. Long waits at Israeli checkpoints became common. And in the darkest days, tanks rolled through Palestinian cities and Israeli troops carried out mass arrests.
When violence ebbed, Israel gradually eased West Bank movement, but Israel continues to restrict Palestinian entry to Jerusalem. Many older Palestinians who lived through the hardships of the last uprising don’t want to go through it again, focusing instead on personal goals, such as getting good jobs and sending their children to college.
The bloody past seems to be less of a deterrent for young Palestinians who hold little hope for a better future, including Palestinian statehood.
The March re-election of hard-liner Netanyahu to a fourth term deepened the sense of paralysis.
