Incitement and Delegitimization

During the past three weeks children between the ages of 13 and 14 carried out three terrorist attacks in Jerusalem, two stabbing attacks and one shooting attack. They were not extraordinary because in effect, since the latest wave of Palestinian terrorism began in 2022, we have witnessed adolescents and even children participating in clashes with Israeli security forces and carrying out terrorist attacks. However, their ages have recently decreased significantly. If in the past the attackers were adolescents and young adults aged 16 or more, today they are children barely in their teens. The attacks and young attackers have been widely praised, especially on the social networks popular with that age group, which may encourage other children to emulate them. As opposed to past instances, where organizations were found to have directed the children, apparently the most recent attacks were carried out by children acting independently. They were influenced by the growing tension in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem, accompanied by strong, pervasive online incitement. The activities of individual children make it particularly difficulty for the Israeli security forces to have advance knowledge of their intentions and prevent the attacks. For the most part, Palestinian children grow up in a society that incites violence, and they absorb and are influenced by the general atmosphere in the Palestinian street, the anti-Israeli incitement in their textbooks and formal and informal educational environments, and particularly by the social networks. According to a survey conducted about Internet use in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem, TikTok is the platform watched most by children of the relevant ages. Formerly, internal criticism was heard in the Palestinian Authority (PA) and within Palestinian society of exploiting children for terrorist attacks. However, at the present time not only does the PA not appear to be taking effective steps against using children as terrorist Read more...

On August 14, 2021, Palestinians from the village of Bayta held a demonstration near the outpost of Eviatar in Samaria. The outpost was evacuated in July 2021, but as part of the agreement with the Israeli government, the land is still controlled by the IDF, an issue which is currently being examined by the Civilian Authority. During they demonstration they ignited rags soaked in kerosene forming a swastika inside a Magen David. Read more...