Monday’s horrific terror attack at Jerusalem’s Ramot junction is a brutal reminder outside of Gaza of the ongoing security challenges facing Israel. Six Israelis (as of time of writing) were murdered and 22 were wounded when terrorists opened fire on a bus, leaving behind scenes of devastation that first responders described as chaotic and heartbreaking. “We arrived at the scene in large numbers as soon as we heard the report of gunshot wounds,” recounted MDA paramedic Nadav Taib, finding “people lying unconscious, shattered glass everywhere.”
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and the Popular Resistance Committees all came out within hours of the attack to praise the terrorists and glorify their cause.
But while Israeli families mourn their dead and the wounded fight for their lives in hospitals, the international community prepares to forgo the attribution of responsibility and to reward the very forces that celebrate such carnage.
As The Jerusalem Post’s Seth J. Frantzman wrote after the attack, “The attack illustrates how Jerusalem continues to sit on the frontline of terror threats that emanate from the West Bank. In the wake of the attack, the IDF encircled several areas on the outskirts of Ramallah.”
In other words, while the focus over the past two years may have shifted to Gaza and Hamas, there is still an ongoing threat that emanates from territories where the Palestinian leadership has failed to establish genuine security control.
The Palestinian Authority, which seeks international recognition as the legitimate government of a future Palestinian state – and the issue is coming to a head sooner rather than later – has consistently failed to unequivocally condemn terror attacks. Instead, it maintains a culture where violence against Israeli civilians is portrayed as “resistance” and terrorists are celebrated as martyrs.
This same PA, which cannot even govern the West Bank effectively without Israeli security coordination, now demands control over Gaza as well. As Monday’s deadly shooting demonstrates, the PA’s inability to prevent terrorism in areas under its nominal control makes any expansion of its authority a security nightmare for Israel.
The PA’s pay-for-slay program, which provides monthly stipends to families of terrorists, continues to this day. This institutionalized incentivization of violence directly contradicts any claim to being a partner for peace. How can the international community seriously consider rewarding such behavior with statehood recognition?
International community ignores harsh realities in Israel
As blood is spilled on Jerusalem’s streets, the international community rushes toward a predetermined outcome that ignores these harsh realities.
In July, the French, Canadian, and UK governments announced their plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly this month, as a means of furthering the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Belgium has also announced plans to adhere to the New York Declaration, paving the way to recognize Palestinian statehood.
This coordinated diplomatic offensive comes at precisely the moment when terrorism continues to claim innocent Israeli lives. Is it any more than a calculated attempt to pressure Israel through international isolation while offering Palestinians statehood without requiring them to abandon violence or demonstrate any capacity for peaceful governance?
The international rush to recognize Palestinian statehood amid continued terrorism sends a clear message: Violence works. When the Palestinian leadership and its supporters see that terror attacks coincide with increased international pressure on Israel and moves toward recognition, what incentive do they have to pursue genuine peace?
A truly pro-peace approach would condition any discussion of Palestinian statehood on verifiable steps: dismantling the pay-for-slay program, ending incitement in Palestinian media and education, demonstrating the ability to maintain security and prevent terrorism, and showing genuine acceptance of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.
Instead, the current diplomatic momentum treats these fundamental prerequisites as optional extras, rather than basic requirements for any functioning state. The result will be more attacks like today’s, more grieving families, and the entrenchment of conflict rather than its resolution.
Israel faces immense international pressure to make concessions in the name of peace. But true peace cannot be built on the foundation of rewarded terrorism. As the UN General Assembly convenes on September 17, the international community will face a choice. Either continue down a path that incentivizes violence, or demand that any Palestinian state meet the basic requirements of peaceful governance that we expect from all legitimate members of the international community.
As it stands, terror will be rewarded yet again.