The Palestinian Terrorism of the Past Year: Causes and Policy Recommendations | Inss

The scope and complexity of the wave of “lone wolf” terrorist attacks that have plagued Israel over the past year do not seem to reflect a single, principal phenomenon. Different actions by individuals have different motivations, although many of the actions share an underlying set of reasons and factors. Israel cannot address all of the fundamental problems motivating „lone wolf“ terrorism, but it can moderate some of these factors with the goal of partially addressing the causes of the phenomenon and not just its symptoms. There is great importance in maintaining a low level of friction with the Palestinian civilian population and continuing to refrain from collective punishment. In addition, Israel can make a very significant contribution toward improvement of the economic reality in the West Bank and the Palestinian Authority’s strengthened ability to govern. This in turn can enhance the PA’s public support, which has significantly eroded in the past year.