MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Let’s head overseas now˳ The recent violence that’s rocked Israel and the West Bank raises the question of whether the new Israeli government is able – or even willing – to calm things down˳ As NPR’s Peter Kenyon reports, there is also a loss of faith in the Palestinian leadership’s ability to step up as anger builds on both sides˳
PETER KENYON, BYLINE: The current violence is being described as the first big test for the leadership of Israel’s still relatively new far-right coalition government˳ And as far as the right-wing base that elected them is concerned, in order to pass the test, what’s needed are more tough measures, including military operations˳ Some of the comments have been brutally direct˳
ALMOG COHEN: (Through interpreter) Keep killing the terrorists˳ What? The more terrorist blood, the better˳ I really like that˳ Am I supposed to suffer over this?
KENYON: That’s Israeli lawmaker Almog Cohen, a member of a far-right political party, speaking to Israel’s Army Radio˳ Cohen is not part of Israel’s security cabinet, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not used such incendiary language himself˳ But Cohen’s comment reflects the pressure the government is feeling from the right˳ Netanyahu is currently pushing a package of new security measures, including the power to take away Israeli ID cards from family members of those who commit attacks˳ I put the question to analyst Reuven Hazan, professor of political science at Hebrew University˳ Can this government end the violence? He says his answer might surprise some, but he wonders if this government really wants to end it˳
REUVEN HAZAN: Yes, we have an extremely hawkish and religious government in Israel – one of the most extreme ones ever – which therefore, by definition, means that they might not be interested in calming the situation down˳
KENYON: Hazan isn’t talking about a sharp escalation˳ That, he says, would benefit no one˳ But the violence could allow the government to push through some of its hard-line agenda while people are focused on security issues˳
HAZAN: But a certain level of violence that can allow the government to implement some of its more extremely hawkish policies towards the Palestinians might actually play into their hands˳
(SOUNDBITE OF CAR RUMBLING)
KENYON: In the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shayah Monday, pedestrians slip into entryways to allow cars to pass in the narrow streets˳ Talking in small groups are relatives and neighbors of 21-year-old Khairy Alqam, who shot and killed seven people outside a synagogue last week, also wounding three others before being killed himself˳ Further up the road, Israeli soldiers are preparing to seal up the family home before its expected demolition˳ Critics call such tactics collective punishment and a violation of international law˳ Forty-three-year-old Ali Alqam, Khairy Alqam’s uncle, says the Israelis can do what they want˳ It won’t deter future actions by young men who he and others call soldiers of God to avenge the killing of Palestinians by Israelis˳ But while he criticized Israel, he aimed a major part of his condemnation straight at the Palestinian leadership˳
ALI ALQAM: (Through interpreter) It did nothing for the people in the West Bank˳ Did it build a farm for its people? No˳ Did it build a factory? No˳ Did it give jobs to the people? Did it give any salaries to the people? No˳ All they did was create monopolies in a gangster style˳
KENYON: The popularity of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, has plummeted˳ And Alqam says that’s as it should be˳ But his anger reaches beyond that, not sparing earlier, leaders such as Yasser Arafat, known as Abu Ammar˳
ALQAM: (Through interpreter) Who is this Abu Mazen? Who is this Abu Ammar? Who are they? Islamic Jihad and Hamas can crush them˳
KENYON: Those are designated as terrorist organizations by numerous countries, including the United States and Israel˳ When Secretary of State Antony Blinken left Israel Tuesday without any sign of progress, he left members of his team in the region to continue discussions˳ But he left many here wondering if things will get worse before they get better˳ Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Jerusalem˳
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