The Palestinian Authority, including its chairman Mahmoud Abbas, are using inflammatory Islamic rhetoric to spread false and malicious claims against Israel, and treat those who engage in the murder of Israelis as heroes. These statements amount to official incitement to violence and can only serve to exacerbate the situation.

Radical Islamists are bringing explosive devices, Molotov cocktails and other weaponry onto the Temple Mount, thus deliberately desecrating, damaging and endangering the holy site and turning it into a battle field. The militarization of a site revered by all should be universally condemned. The aim of these elements is to change the status quo and to prevent visits by non-Muslims on the Mount.

The status quo protects the right of Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount, as well as the freedom of all people, whether Muslims, Christians, Jews or others, to visit the Mount. Visits to the Temple Mount over the past year included nearly 4,000,000 entries by Muslims, about 200,000 entries by Christians, and about 12,000 entries by Jews.

Israel, for its part, is making every effort to restore calm. It guarantees freedom of worship for members of all faiths and is strongly committed to maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount. Israel has never made any attempt to change the status quo, and any claim to the contrary is a lie.

Israel also remains committed to dialogue with the Palestinian leadership and would like to see the renewal of direct peace talks as soon as possible.

 

Terror attacks in the past month

Following is a list of major terror attacks against Israeli civilians that have occurred since the Jewish New Year (13 September 2015). This is a partial list that does not include attacks thwarted by the security forces or the many instances of rock throwing and Molotov cocktails that did not result in very severe injuries.

 

September 13

Jerusalem: Rock attack at a car, on Erev Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), resulted in death of driver, Alexander Levlovitz. Four Palestinian youths arrested.

October 1     

Near Nablus in Samaria: Rabbi Eitam Henkin (31) and wife Naama (30) murdered in a drive-by shooting while traveling with their four young children (aged 9, 7, 4, and 9 months). Security forces arrested members of Hamas cell responsible.


October 3

Jerusalem: Two killed in stabbing attack near Lion’s Gate. Aharon Banita-Bennet (22) was stabbed to death on the way to the Western Wall in the Old City on Saturday evening with his wife and two young children. His wife and two-year-old son were wounded. Rabbi Nehemia Lavi (father of seven), who came to the aid of the Banita-Bennett family, was attacked and stabbed to death. Police shot and killed the attacker.

Zaka Rescue and Recovery team at scene of stabbing attack Jerusalem's Old City
Copyright: Reuters

Police officers enter a residential building in Kiryat Gat in search for terrorist
Copyright: Israel Police

Scene of terror attack in Jerusalem near Jerusalem light rail - Oct 8, 2015
Copyright: Israel Police

Female terrorist detonates explosive device near checkpoint between Ma'aleh Adumim and Jerusalem - Oct 11, 2015
Copyright: Israel Police

Tzomet Alon (northern Israel, between Hadera and Afula): Four injured at bus station in a combined ramming/stabbing attack. Female soldier (19) in serious condition (as of 12 Oct still critical); girl (turned 15 that day) in moderate condition; two men (45, 20) in light condition. Terrorist first rammed his car into two of the victims, then got out and started stabbing. The terrorist (20, from Umm el Fahm in northern Israel) was apprehended with the help of bystanders. 

October 12

Jerusalem: Stabbing attack foiled at Lion;s Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. Terrorist (18, from eastern Jerusalem) was shot and killed.

Knife used in terrorist attack at Lion's Gate, Jerusalem
Copyright: Israel Police

Jerusalem (Ammunition Hill, northern Jerusalem): Border policeman was stabbed and lightly  injured by a female terrorist (16). The officer managed to shoot and stop her, and she was evacuated to hospital.

Jerusalem (Pisgat Zeev in northern Jerusalem): Two terrorists (both teenagers) stabbed and seriously wounded a man (25) and a boy (13) riding his bicycle. Police shot and killed one terrorist and apprehended the second. The boy is in critical condition.

Scene of terror attack in Pisgat Zeev neighborhood of Jerusalem on Oct 12. 13-year-old boy riding his bike critically wounded.
Copyright: Israel Police

Jerusalem (8:30 pm near entrance to city): Terrorist on bus stabbed a soldier (19) and tried to grab his gun. After a struggle, the terrorist was shot and killed by a police officer.


October 13

Ra'anana (northeast of Tel Aviv): Two stabbing attacks in the morning, an hour apart: The first at a bus stop on a main street, in which a man (32) suffered light wounds; the attacker (from eastern Jerusalem) was subdued by passers-by and held until the police arrived. The second attack resulted in one seriously wounded and three lightly wounded; the terrorist was arrested.

Jerusalem: Two terrorists, both residents of the adjacent Jabel Mukaber neighborhood, boarded an Egged bus in East Talpiot in southern Jerusalem, one armed with a gun and the other with a knife. Two passengers (aged 60 and 45) were killed, 15 wounded, several seriously. One terrorist killed by police, second apprehended.
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Scene of attack on Egged bus in East Talpiot neighborhood in Jerusalem
Copyright: Israel Police

Jerusalem: Car ramming and stabbing attack at a bus stop on Malkhei Yisrael Street in Makor Baruch, a religious neighborhood. Rabbi Yeshayahu Krishevsky, 59, of Jerusalem was killed and five wounded. The terrorist, who was apprehended, is a resident of the Jabel Mukaber neighborhood who holds Israeli citizenship, was an employee of Israeli phone company Bezeq, and was using a company car to commit the attack.

Hamas praised the attacks, saying they are "a message to anyone who harms our holy places."

Scene of car-ramming and stabbing attack at bus stop on Malkhei Yisrael Street in Jerusalem
Copyright: GPO/Amos Ben Gershom