Is Israel facing a new Intifada?

The Spectator, April 8, 2022

Dizengoff Street is one of the busiest thoroughfares in Tel Aviv, a strip of bars, restaurants and Bauhaus architecture that is typically bustling with young people on a Thursday evening. Last night, it was the scene of the latest Palestinian terror attack when a gunman opened fire outside the Ilka bar, killing three and wounding nine. One of those killed was Olympic kayaker Barak Lopen, who represented Israel at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

In the past two weeks, 14 Israelis have been killed by a mixture of Palestinian and Israeli-Arab terrorists. For comparison, there were 17 terrorism-related fatalities in the entirety of last year. For Israel’s Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, there is political danger, too. His left-centre-right-Arab coalition lost its majority earlier this week when the government’s chief whip resigned. The right-wing Likud opposition is climbing in the polls and former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ousted by Bennett’s coalition a year ago, will be ruthless in his attempts to regain power.

WWW Comment

The world’s attention is currently on Ukraine. But trouble is brewing in Israel. A series of terrorist attacks has upended the national agenda and returned a sense of fear to the streets of Israel’s cities. On top of this Israel is facing another political crisis. On Wednesday, the coalition government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid lost its majority in the Knesset, triggering the possibility of an unprecedented fifth election within three years.

The Iranian negotiations over a new deal are also reaching a conclusion. Isaiah 21 says that this is going to end badly and Iran will stir up enormous problems – they will activate their proxy armies around Israel.

A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.  Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; (Isaiah 21:2-3)

Andy Walton

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