Just as diplomatic efforts seemed to be in the Palestinians' favor, terrorism makes an unfortunate comeback.
By MICHELLE MALKA GROSSMANUpdated: OCTOBER 13, 2015 04:59What are the Palestinians hoping to achieve?
What is behind the sudden wave of terror attacks? Why use violence at all when diplomatic efforts seem to be achieving the same goal?The Jerusalem Post spoke with a former IDF colonel as well as with a reporter for Palestinian News Agency Ma'an (who believes most of the recent attacks are fake) to gain perspective.Dr. Col. (res.) Moshe Elad views the wave of terror attacks as a desperate cry for attention from the international community."They felt that in the last couple of months they were a little out of focus because most [news was about] ISIS, the problem in Syria, Russia, the United States and suddenly the Palestinian problem was a little outdated."He said that even Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's call to raise a Palestinian flag at the United Nations failed to bring the Palestinian cause to the forefront of the news.Elad, who is currently a professor of Middle Eastern history at Western Galilee College, knows the subject well. He served for 16 years as the military governor of the Jenin district, Bethlehem district and the Tyre district in southern Lebanon. From 1995 to 1998, he also headed security coordination with the Palestinian Authority in the early years of the Oslo Accords.He does not think the wave of attacks will affect the Oslo Accords, despite threats made by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Rather, Elad said, the Accords are in the PA's best interest."As long as Israel stays in the West Bank, this is their 'insurance coverage'," he said, adding that Hamas would immediately take over if Israel was to give up the West Bank and leave Fatah in charge.Elad said the fact that the Oslo Accords have been unaffected despite the attacks shows the common interest that Israel and the PA share in maintaining the status quo.From the Palestinian side, Abd al-Hakim Salah, a reporter for Palestinian news agency Ma'an, said that the attacks stem from frustration about al-Aksa mosque and rumors of dividing or demolishing it.
"I believe the average Palestinian is frustrated and disappointed about what's going on and people think it's part of a plan that the Israeli government is doing," he said. "It started with the actions in al-Aksa, the attempts or at least talks about the Jewish people visiting al-Aksa every day...so there have been protests."Furthermore, he expressed doubts that the terror attacks were actually attacks at all. "I do not like to call them attacks because most of them, I believe, are fabricated.""If you look at the footage ... sometimes it's crystal clear that it's fake."He claimed that he is not affiliated with Hamas, though said that he is in favor of whichever political party is best for the people."As far as I'm concerned, I'm looking for whatever is in the best interest of the Palestinian people, regardless of whether it's Hamas or Fatah or whoever will bring it."