by Yoav Limor
-- terror attacks such as Sunday's shooting undermine Palestinian interests by diminishing Israeli desire to offer economic gestures.
Terrorist Ashraf Walid Suleiman Na'alwa flees the scene, Sunday
Screenshot: CCTV
Sunday's terrorist
attack in the Barkan Industrial Park in Samaria, in which Ashraf Walid
Suleiman Na'alwa, 23, from the West Bank village of Shawika, killed two
Israelis and wounded a third, was another example of how fragile and
elusive the vital yet perilous Jewish-Arab coexistence is across Judea
and Samaria.
Industrial zones in the area employ
thousands of Palestinians – 250 alone in the Alon Group facility where
the shooting took place – in an attempt to ensure as many of the West
Bank's residents as possible are able to earn an honest living.
Numerous studies into the motives of
terrorists show that allowing individuals to provide for their
families is the surest way to keep them out of the cycle of violence.
That is why Israeli defense officials
support increasing the number of work permits issued to Palestinians.
This comes from the simple understanding that employment leads to fewer
terrorist attacks while denying work permits only fuels tensions.
This is also the reason why Sunday's attack
undermines, first and foremost, Palestinian interests: It diminishes
Israel's willingness to offer the Palestinians economic gestures. In
this case, it also means toughening security checks and imposing
restrictions on the Palestinian employees across the Barkan Industrial
Park.
It is doubtful that Na'alwa set out to
undermine coexistence, as he is not affiliated with any known
terrorist group. Were he a Hamas operative, for example, that might
have been his objective.
But a lone-wolf terrorist usually strikes
in familiar ground, and Na'alwa was no exception: He went to his
former place of employment, where he knew how to circumvent security
measures.
The IDF and the Shin Bet security agency
must investigate several key issues in this case, including how the
terrorist got his hands on an automatic rifle, why a threatening
Facebook post he wrote did not raise any alarms, whether he shared his
plans with anyone, especially given that he left a written will before
embarking on his killing spree, and, mostly, how was he able to walk
into the industrial zone with a weapon and whether he had an accomplice
inside.
The private company entrusted with security
at Barkan must also answer that last question. It must prove that its
people are not simply going through the motions while guarding the
park's gates.
Although Na'alwa fled and was still being
pursued a day later, his behavior indicated that he did not believe he
would survive the attack and it is doubtful he prepared a hideout.
With his capture only a matter of time,
security forces would be wise to do everything possible to take him
alive, as his interrogation could help seal any holes in Barkan's
security protocols.
It could also shed light on why he
handcuffed his victims. Was he planning to take hostages? Was he
imitating Islamic State? Did he have a personal motive?
IDF and Shin Bet forces raided Na'alwa's
home in the West Bank village of Shawika, north of Tulkarem, on Sunday
and arrested several suspected accomplices, including one of his
brothers.
The aim is not only to curtail potential
terrorist activities but also to pressure Na'alwa to turn himself in
so as to minimize the impact on his family.
Past experience shows that lone-wolf
terrorists usually hide in familiar surroundings. If anyone is helping
him, they must be close friends or family.
Still, security forces do not see him as a fugitive, but as a "ticking time bomb" who may strike again.
Another concern is that this attack will
inspire copycat attacks. This has prompted the IDF to bolster its
forces across Judea and Samaria, as well as reach out to Palestinian
security forces, as Na'alwa may be more inclined to turn himself over
to them.
The involvement of the Palestinian security
forces may also help prevent potential copycat attacks, as they
also understand that in the absence of a diplomatic horizon, the
economy is the next best countermeasure to terrorism and violence.
Yoav Limor
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/10/08/barkan-attack-shows-fragility-of-coexistence/
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