Israel-Palestine: the spiral of violence seems to be reignited

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visits the scene of the shooting near a synagogue in Jerusalem, Friday, January 27, 2023. AP - Maya Alleruzzo

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2 mins

The spiral of violence between Israelis and Palestinians seems to be reignited the day after the attack on a synagogue and the death of seven people.

There have been many and unanimous reactions since January 27 to condemn this attack.

A tragedy, a few hours after the deadly operations carried out by the Jewish state in the occupied West Bank.

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Jewish worshipers returned this Saturday morning to the Ateret Abraham Synagogue in the Neve Ya'akov neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem for Shabbat morning prayers, our Jerusalem correspondent

Michel

Paul

reports .

Police point out that the attack was carried out by a lone man, East Jerusalem resident Kheiry Alkam, who fired several volleys yesterday at worshippers, killing seven and wounding three others, before be shot in turn by the police.

The 21-year-old man has no criminal record, and it is the nightmare of the police services.

"

 Police have arrested 42 suspects for questioning, some are family members of the terrorist 

," police said in a statement.

The media in Israel speak of a real massacre, which occurred at the exit of this place of worship on Friday evening, and in the middle of Shabbat.

The Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, went there;

he promised to facilitate the acquisition of arms for Israeli citizens.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu adopted a different tone.

"

We must act with determination and composure,

" he said.

I call on people not to take justice into their own hands.

For this we have the army, the police and the security forces and they will work according to the directives of the cabinet. 

»

► To read also: 

a shooting leaves several dead near a synagogue in East Jerusalem

Thirty Palestinians killed since the beginning of the year in the West Bank

On the Palestinian side, the reactions were quite different yesterday.

In the Palestinian neighborhoods of Jerusalem, in the West Bank and in Gaza, there were scenes of jubilation, firing of fireworks.

It should be remembered that thirty Palestinians have been

killed since the beginning of the year

in the West Bank, during Israeli raids, particularly in the Jenin sector, in the north of the West Bank.

In any case, the international community unanimously condemned the attack, US President Joe Biden even telephoned Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to convey his condolences.

The Israeli security cabinet must meet in the evening to decide on new measures and the question now is how to stop this cycle of violence.

Monday, January 30, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected in Jerusalem, precisely to try to calm things down.

► To read also: 

The Palestinian Authority stops its security coordination with Israel after a deadly raid in Jenin

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  • Israelo-Palestinian conflict

  • Israel

  • Palestinian territories

  • Binyamin Netanyahu