Daily Alert Archives

Bethlehem after Oslo: Terror Spiked in Israel's Absence

(Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Nadav Shragai - Bethlehem is only several hundred meters from southern Jerusalem. On Dec. 21, 1995, after the Oslo Peace Accords, Israel officially handed Bethlehem over to Palestinian rule. When the Palestinians had exclusive responsibility for security in Bethlehem, Palestinian snipers sat on the rooftops and shot at soldiers and Jewish visitors to Rachel's Tomb. Waves of terror emanating from the city killed and wounded hundreds of Israelis. What happened in Bethlehem was representative of the other districts in the Palestinian Authority. In the 15 years that preceded the Oslo Accords, 270 Israelis were murdered by Palestinians. During the 15 years that followed the accords, close to 1,500 Israelis were killed. When the IDF was physically present in an area, the frequency of terror attacks decreased. When Israel relied on the Palestinian Authority, the frequency of terror attacks increased. The writer, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center, is a journalist and commentator who has documented the dispute over Jerusalem for 30 years.
2018-10-24 00:00:00
Full Article