Palestinian Gunman Praised After Killing Three Israelis

Three Israelis were killed and another injured by a Palestinian gunman in Har Adar, a Jerusalem suburb which straddles the 1949 armistice line, on September 26^th. The attack occurred when security guards opened a gate to admit Palestinian laborers with permits into the settlement in the morning.  The attacker who was shot dead, Nimr Mahmoud Ahmed Jamal, held a work permit. Jamal regularly worked in Har Adar cleaning houses.

The Har Adar is an upscale community west of Jerusalem and known for its good relations with its Palestinian neighbors. Typically, 150 Palestinian laborers enter the community every day for work.

Hamas, the terrorist group that controls the Gaza strip welcomed the attack. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem  said “Once again Jerusalem proves that it is at the heart of the conflict with the occupation, and that there is no way to get it out of the equation of the conflict.”

Fatah, led by Palestinian Authority  President Mahmoud Abbas, also officially designated Jamal a “martyr.” The Palestinian Authority pays annual financial compensation  to terrorists and their family members who conduct terror attacks against Israelis. The continued payment of terrorist salaries has been a sore point between the Palestinian Authority and the U.S. Congress.

The attack took place while the United States Envoy Jason Greenblatt  was in the Jerusalem discussing the relaunch of the Arab-Israeli peace process. Greenblatt issued a statement saying he was horrified and calling for unity against terror.

Since October of 2015, Palestinians have killed 51 Israelis, two Americans and a British tourist in stabbing, shootings and car-ramming attacks. Israeli forces have killed over 255 Palestinians, most of who most were killed during an attack of terror, or during clashes with Israeli forces.

At the peak of violence in September 2016, there were 480 attacks total, which included stabbings, shootings, car ramming, roadside bombings, stone throwing, and Molotov cocktails.

This attack has been one of the deadliest in the past two-year spate of violence and comes at a tense period during an important Jewish holiday.

In July of 2017 there was a spark of terrorist attacks and violent protests which occurred in Jerusalem’s old city at the Temple Mount/ Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. On July 14th  two Israeli police officers were killed by three Palestinians which Hamas claimed as a “heroic act”, and on July 21st  three Palestinians were killed by Israeli police and injured close to 400 others Palestinian protesters at the holy site.

The frequency of these attacks have lessened, however, with the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur nearing, could spark a new wave of violence, or lead to more attacks at the holy sites in Jerusalem.